The Swarm Lord
by marine3950
Summary: A soldier dies on Earth, and is spirited away to a distant planet, and the only way he can protect himself and his family on this dangerous new world is with something more dangerous: the power of the Zerg Swarm. Starcraft is owned by Blizzard entertainment.
1. Prologue to The Swarm

Prologue

Chris ran down the street, the barrel of his M-4 rifle moving back and forth. Just seconds ago, his first patrol down the streets of this little Iraqi town had turned deadly. The lead Humvee in his convoy had been destroyed by an RPG, and now Chris and his squad were racing towards the building that the rocket came barreling towards them from.

Chris ran up to the door of the house and planted the barrel of his rifle above the lock. He moved his finger to the trigger for his under-barrel shotgun, and pulled the trigger. The gun jumped in his hands as it fired, destroying the lock. Chris kicked the door in. He was the first man in. He was greeted by a spray of automatic fire from an insurgent's AK-47. Chris flew backwards into the wall. His body armor had failed to stop the armor-piercing rounds from slicing up his organs.

As he slowly bled out, he saw his squad running up the stairs to avenge their friend. The edges of his vision blackened, before the blackness claimed his entire vision.

* * *

Chris groaned as he woke up. His stomach hurt, his thoughts a blur. He sat up, in a daze. Two people ran over to where he was laying. "Hector! Thank goodness you're ok!" His mother ran over to him, hugging him. Hector? The memories came flooding back. The raiders, the village, his dad and little brother. He clutched the wound where the arrows had passed through his gut. He looked over to his sister. He winced, remembering how she had cried when the raider's mace connected with her brother's arm, then fell onto his head.

What sister? Chris is an only child, born to a middle class family in Wichita, Kansas. He had gone to a good school, got good grades, and had good parents and good friends. But Hector is... was the oldest of three. Now only he, his mother Rebecca, and his five-year old sister Sara were left out of their entire village. He felt two different sets of memories in his head; one set of memories as an only child on Earth, of a twenty year old Christopher Stinton, another as Hector Brenst, a villager from the settlement of... the former settlement of Drex, on Dreyparx. He was a twenty year old villager, and an ungifted one at that. Then there was... Something else.

It was a whisper in the back of his mind. It was small, but definitely there.

_You think yourself ungifted? _Hector spun, trying to face the voice from nowhere.

Where was it coming from?

_I come from nowhere._

Hector's eyes widened.

**Who are you, and what do you want?** Hector thought, trying to mask his fear.

_I am no one. What do _you_ want?_

**To protect my family.**

_At what price?_

**I'd do anything!**

_Anything?_

**If it keeps them alive, yes.**

Hector felt power surge through his body, felt an intense heat enter him. He felt the arrow wounds in his stomach close up, and, like lines from the page of a book, something entered his mind.

_Evolutionary Stage: 0_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 100/100_

_Bio Energy Reserve:0_

_Requirement to Evolve: Create the Swarm  
_

The Swarm... the first image that entered Hector's mind was a memory from Chris, of the Zerg, a race from Chris's favorite computer game: Starcraft. But that had been fantasy, a work of fiction. It couldn't be real... could it?

Hector felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his mom's. "Are you OK? Your eyes... glazed over for a moment, like you had gone into a trance." Hector shook his head. "I'm fine. A bit hungry, but fine." Rebecca stood, and left the cave, grabbing a roughly made spear as she left. "Where are you going, mommy?" Sara called after her. "To get food!" came her reply.

Hector felt alone, felt the need to have others. He stood, shaky, and moved towards the front of the cave. At the mouth of the cave, he felt a tug on the sleeve of his shirt. He looked down at Sara, who had pulled on him with her left arm. "Mommy said that we shouldn't leave the cave without her."

A sigh escaped Hector's mouth. "It'll all be OK, Sara. It'll all be OK." He wasn't paying much attention to her. He needed to evolve. He needed to birth the swarm.


	2. Chapter 1: Hector's Brood is Born

**Chapter 1: Hector's Brood is Born**

Hector sighed. "It'll all be OK, Sara. It'll all be OK." He wasn't paying much attention to her. He needed to evolve. He needed to birth the swarm.

Hector left the cave. He knew he shouldn't have, but he could feel the connection in his mind. He could feel it tugging, pulling him towards it. He didn't rush, though. Every step was carefully placed, each breath silent as possible, each sound heard. He wasn't worried about raiders. He knew every inch of forest a day's walk from his own home, and could slip away in an instant. No, what worried him were the Chimera that stalked the forest.

Dreyparx was a world filled with the monsters of all sizes. He had seen Chimera that came no higher than his knee, but on one foray into the deeper part of the forest, his mother had seen a skeleton that reached near the tops of the trees. Chimera itself was a blanket term used to describe all the non-human creatures on the planet, ranked on a class scale of one to ten, with one being the least dangerous and ten being the most. Of course, even Class-1 Chimera could kill normal humans. Not all humans on Dreyparx were normal, however.

On Dreyparx, about one in ten humans were gifted with control over one of the elements: earth, fire, water, air, light, darkness, energy, and life. The skill to manipulate one of these elements manifested itself during the child's fifth year. With that power came privileges. Dreyparx's human populations were concentrated in walled cities and towns, as well as outlying villages, like what Drex had been. Unless you had another desirable skill like blacksmithing or tanning Chimera hides, you had to have a mage in your family to get behind those coveted walls. Most villages asked a Class-1 mage for you to have residence. Larger towns would seek out a Class-3 mage, and cities would usually need a Class-5 mage. Hector's mother was a Class-2, and his dad had been Class-3, though the magic had skipped Hector and his little brother. Hector looked down to his little sister, who had recently turned five...

And tripped on a rise, tumbling right into the boulder. He bounced off it and landed flat on his back. Shaking his head to clear it, Hector looked up at the boulder. It was a rather large, black rock, in a rough teardrop shape, maybe ten feet wide at its widest point. He stood up and looked around, and noticed for the first time he was in a crater. He'd tripped on the lip of an impact crater! He remembered seeing a light streak across the sky the day before the raiders had attacked. He looked around. The asteroid's impact had flattened all trees within a hundred yards, and the crater was about twenty-five feet across, and five feet deep.

Hector looked back at the rock. It was calling to him. Sara tugged at him. He looked at her. "It's late." Sure enough, he could see the sun starting to approach the western trees.. "One sec." He moved closer to it. After hesitating for a moment, he put his hand on the rock, unsure of what to expect.

He felt a flash of heat blast out of his body, into the rock. His mind's eye saw his _Collected Bio Energy_ drop from 100 to zero. He staggered back, exhausted, as a quick_ "Well Done"_ passed through his mind. He looked to Sara, whose eyes widened. Hector followed her gaze, and felt his eyes go wide at the sight.

In front of him, the meteor had been enveloped in a purple goo, which slowly grew into a purple cocoon, one that slowly towered up to fifty feet in the air, and that covered the entirety of the clearing. Sara asked "What is it?" Hector shook his head. "I don't know." He turned to Sara. "We should get back to the cave." Sara nodded, and together, they began the long walk back to the cave. It would be a Dreyparxi day, 20 earth hours, before it would finish. But how was he so sure that it would take another day? And where was Earth? Hector pushed the thoughts out of his head.

When they arrived back at the cave, the sun's rays had stopped shining through the trees. Rebecca wasn't in the cave, which didn't worry Hector too badly. It usually took her two days to hunt anyways. Hector walked over to his mattress, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Hector's dreams had been odd. He dreamt of a blue planet, where humans were the dominant species, and all the chimeras above class three had been wiped out millions of years earlier. Cities accepted people without magic, and massive metal boats crossed the oceans without fear of being swallowed whole. He had even seen a large metal bird, and people would ride inside of it and fly through the air. He also saw Chris's last moments, felt the pain shoot through him. The dream was of Earth, he knew. But it had seemed so distant.

Hector woke to a soft sobbing. He looked towards Sara. It was her. Hector walked over to her.

"Are you OK?" Sara shook her head, and clutched her stomach. "I'm hungry." Hector heard his stomach rumble. He was too. He was used to it, though, as he had been willing to give up most of his share of food to her to help her grow. Hector grabbed a pouch of drinking water, took his sister's hand, and led her outside.

He felt his feet squish onto a purple goo as he walked out of the cave, sinking down about half an inch. He looked down at it, surprised and a little grossed out. His sister had momentarily forgotten her hunger to enjoy the squishing sound the Creep made as she stepped on it. His mind's eye flashed for a moment.

_Brood Chamber_

_Primary Energy Storage_

_Energy Converter_

_Projects Creep (5 Miles)_

_Births Larva (500/20 hours)_

It must've finished while he was sleeping. But the name was unfamiliar to him. Brood Chamber. He'd seen Broodlings, Brood Lords, and Evolution Chambers, but not Brood Chamber. His mind's eye flashed again.

_Evolutionary Stage: 1_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 10/500_

_Bio Energy Reserve: 5_

_Requirement to Evolve: 5000 Units of Bio Energy_

A thought crossed Hector's mind. He reached down and scooped up a handful of the creep. As he brought it to his mouth hesitantly, he noticed that the hole had been filled. Looking back to the creep, he closed his eyes and sampled the stuff. It didn't taste that bad. It was actually sort of sweet. As he swallowed, he felt his hunger subside slightly. He tore out another chunk, and handed it to Sara. "Try it."

Sara gulped the creep without hesitation. Her face lit up, and she began scooping up handfuls of the stuff, filling herself. Hector stopped her. The creep could fill her up, but it held little nutritional value for humans like Sara. Her digestive system couldn't handle it.

He frowned inwardly. Humans like Sara. If she was a human, what was he?

He pushed the thought aside. "Sara, don't eat too much." She stood up, and Hector wiped a piece of the creep away from the corner of her mouth. She smiled, and he smiled back. Together, they walked towards the crater from the day before.

Hector found himself having to stop now and then for his sister to catch up, even though he was matching her strides. A nervous thought shot through his mind. In Starcraft 2, Zerg units moved faster on the creep. He shuddered, and offered Sara a piggyback ride. She enthusiastically accepted, and they made it to the Brood Chamber before the sun was directly overhead.

The brood chamber looked incredible. It looked eerily similar to the actual Zerg Overmind, minus the tentacles. Near the Brood Chamber, wriggling around on the creep, were dozens of three-foot centipedes. Larva. In his mind's eye, he saw a simple line of text.

_Genetic Material Available: Brood Queen, Overlord, Zergling, Drone._

With that information came the answer to their food problem. They couldn't hope to fight a Chimera, but a pack of Zerglings could. Concentrating on Zergling, information passed through his head.

_Zergling: Basic Ground Combat Strain. Costs 1 Bio Energy._

By now Hector was convinced that he had somehow become the Overmind, the ultimate authority to the Zerg Swarm, their sole conscious. He didn't know how or why, but it didn't matter to him. What did matter was that he get food.

Last he remembered, he had fifteen units of Bio Energy to spare. That was fifteen Zerglings. The problem would be making them. He was trying to figure out how to somehow tell the Larva that he wanted fifteen Zerglings. The second that thought shot through his head, though, fifteen of the Larva curled up into cocoons. Hector stood there, shocked. The realization dawned on him. He had a psionic connection with the Zerg. If that didn't make him the Overmind, he didn't know what did. But what else could he do?

A little less than half an hour later, Hector saw thirty Zerglings burst out of their eggs, each with insect-like limbs, teeth and claws putting a Chimera to shame, and two scythe-like limbs protruding from their backs. The Zerglings gathered around Hector and Sara, who looked up at Hector with a terrified look.

"What are they?" Sara asked her voice trembling slightly.

"Zerglings. They're friendly, don't worry." Sara stared wide-eyed at him.

Hector touched the mind of one of the Zerglings. He felt no emotion, it was just waiting for an order. He had 25 of the Zerglings head out to find food, leaving five for defense. He was amazed by how fast they had disappeared into the underbrush. Though they quickly went further, Hector could feel the connection lengthen without even the slightest strain.

Curious, Hector extended his mind out to one of the Zerglings, and pushed into its mind. The Zergling's consciousness retreated, and Hector had full control of the creature and its senses. Enthralled, he spent a few minutes wandering in the body, when he felt a tug on his mind. A living creature had been found. Hector's mind leapt from one Zergling to another instantly, despite the miles of distance.

Through the second Zergling's eyes, Hector saw the forms of creatures that he knew all too well. In front of the Zergling, was a group of Class-1 Chimera. These particular Chimera were of the Saurian variety, akin to the dinosaurs of Earth that appeared in Chris's memories. What lay in front of the Zergling was a pack of fifty Screechers, whose danger came from their swarming habits. They stood on two legs, and about two feet tall. From tip to tail, they were twice that, with two arm that ended in grasping, four-talon hands, and each had a mouth filled with needles.

Hector immediately called the other Zerglings towards the Screechers. Normally, Screechers had to be dealt with using superior numbers. Hector didn't have that luxury. What he did have, however, was confidence in his Zerg force. After a few minutes, the 25 Zerglings had gathered in a rough circle around the Screechers. At a thought, they moved in slowly.

A branch snapped underneath the foot of a Zergling. The Screechers perked up immediately, aware of the threat. Then, a moment later, the Zerg attacked.

Not one Zergling took so much as a scratch or nibble from any of the Screechers, which had been massacred. At his command, the Zerglings remained to guard the kill. Hector's mind reeled. It used to be that any Chimera, even a single Class-1, had been reason to find shelter. The slaughter of _fifty_ Chimera, with little more than a thought, was jarring.

Hector left the Zerglings and went back to his own body. The first thing that he heard was the terrified voice of his little sister, calling him. "Hector! Big brother, please wake up!" She was on the verge of tears. Hector looked over to her. "I'm here, I'm OK. What happened?"

Sara sniffed, rubbing the tears in her eyes. "You... just froze up. You... weren't talking." He felt so stupid. With his mind in the Zergling, his body had been empty. Hector knelt next to his sister, and hugged her. "I'm sorry." was all that he could say. Sara hugged him back. "Mommy isn't back. I don't want to be left alone." Hector felt like an idiot. He had been so thrilled with his new power that he had forgotten about his own sister.

Once she had regained her composure, Hector told her "I need you to know something. Are you listening?" Sara nodded. "I can control these creatures, and see and hear anything they can. If one of them is near you, I am too." She hugged him again. "Now let's have breakfast." He picked Sara up effortlessly. He paused for a moment. Had she always been this light? He thought he remembered a time when he would struggle to pick her up. Shrugging, he put her on his shoulders.

The other five Zerglings formed a circle around them as they went. Hector had little trouble finding the kill site. When they arrived, he let Sara down. She stared wide-eyed at the number of Screechers. He had some Zerglings tear the legs off of three of the killed animals. After he had started a fire, Hector and his sister enjoyed roasted Screecher legs. Their meal as uneventful, save for the ten or so other Screechers that had been drawn to the kill site by the scent of blood, and even a Class-2 Chimera. The latter had worried Sara, until it was ripped apart by thirty Zerglings.

Their meal finished, Hector had the Zerglings carry the corpses of the Screechers back to the Brood Chamber. They arrived, depositing the corpses inside the Brood Chamber, and he sent twenty back for the rest. The other ten followed them back to the cave.

Rebecca wasn't there. Hector had the Zerglings search for her. While it wasn't normal for her to be gone for more than a day, it had happened before. What worried him, though, was that when she was gone for so long, she came back injured.


	3. Chapter 2: Rescue

**Chapter 2: Rescue**

Rebecca wasn't there. Hector had the Zerglings search for her. While it wasn't normal for her to be gone for more than a day, it had happened before. What worried him, though, was that when she was gone for so long, she came back injured.

He pushed the thought out of his mind, and realized that they hadn't been inside the Brood Chamber yet. He wanted to see what was inside. His mind made up, Hector walked out of the cave, sister on his back.

The inside of the Brood Chamber was actually fairly comfortable, lit by a large, glowing red sac attached to the ceiling. He could see the walls of the Brood Chamber expand and contract, ever so slightly, breathing. He looked around, and saw the meteor in the center of the crater the Brood Chamber sat on.

The meteor had taken on a reddish hue under the light of the sac directly above it. It was covered in creep, though he could tell that underneath the creep, the surface had smoothed a bit. From inside of the meteor, he heard a faint whisper, similar to the one he had heard just before he had gotten his powers. Was the meteor somehow responsible?

He turned from the meteor as the twenty Zerglings he had sent out earlier returned with the rest of the Screechers, depositing them with the other corpses before returning outside. He then realized that they wouldn't be able to eat even half of the food available before it would spoil. How would he be able to keep the food fresh?

As if in answer, the creep the corpses sat on grew up and over the meat. Hector walked over to the creep mound, and put his hand on it. A chill shot up his arm, and he quickly pulled it back. The creep had frozen the food in an instant. The creep could act as a sort of fridge. He figured that it could probably heat the food just as quickly.

He though back to the Class-2 Chimera that his Zerglings had felled. How would he be able to get that over to the Brood Chamber? It wasn't like the Zerglings were meant to move something that big. He needed...

_Drone: Basic Zerg Worker. Costs 1 unit of Bio-Energy_

He smiled. Drones were exactly what he needed. According to the information in his head, he had ten units of bio energy reserved. He decided to make five drones. As five Larva outside the Chamber rolled up, the sac above the meteor dimmed a bit. He looked up at it. It contained his reserve bio energy, he figured.

Hector felt a tug on his arm. Sara looked up at him. "Do you know where mommy is? I'm worried." Hector shook his head. "Sorry. I don't know. I'm worried too." He felt that the Zerglings were taking too long to find his mom. He needed something that flew. He needed...

_Overlord: Zerg Flying Carrier, Commander. Costs 20 units of Bio-Energy._

Hector's eyes went wide. 20! Zerglings and Drones costed 50 minerals in Starcraft, but only 1 bio energy here. Why did the Overlords cost so much extra? He sighed. If it found his mom, it was worth it. However, he didn't have nearly enough bio energy to make one Overlord. He found himself waiting for the Drones to finish morphing.

Twenty minutes later, the Drones emerged, and he sent them towards the nearest Chimera corpse, each accompanied by two Zerglings. He followed them, curious to see how they would transport the corpses. When the Drones arrived at a corpse, they used the two pincers at the front of their body to grab the body of the Chimera, and, ever so slowly, the Drones dragged the body of the Class-2 Chimera, one that weighed about a thousand pounds, towards the Chamber. It took time, but eventually, the massive corpse lay before the Brood Chamber. They had enough food, so Hector wanted to use it for raw energy. He was curious to see how the corpse would be turned into energy. He soon had his answer.

The creep underneath the Chimera slowly flowed over the corpse. Once the corpse had been completely covered, he noticed that the pouch of creep began to sink back down. In his mind, his bio energy count slowly went up unit by unit. By the time the creep had leveled out again, about ten minutes later, he noted that his bio energy count had gone up ten units. He sent out the drones to gather more corpses.

About twenty minutes later, Hector had ordered the morphing of an Overlord. About half an hour later, during which time another corpse had been "digested" by the creep, an Overlord emerged from its cocoon. Unlike the other Zerg that he had seen, the Overlord had a sort of self-awareness. It was still bound to his will as the Overmind, but it appeared to have a sort of personality. Hector made contact with it.

_Yes, Overmind?_ The voice was deep, and raspy.

**Overlord, I need you to find someone for me.**

_Of course, Overmind. Who do you seek?_

**Sara's mother has gone missing. Can you find her?** Hector thought of their mother, and an image of her appeared in the Overlord's mind.

_I shall do what I can._

Hector retreated from the Overlord's consciousness. He looked at Sara, who in turn looked at the Overlord. "What is it?" Sara asked. "It's an Overlord. It's going to find mom." Sara looked at Hector, her blue eyes shining. "It will?" Hector nodded. Sara hugged him, and he hugged her back. He felt the occasional tug at his mind as a Chimera attempted to attack one of his Drones as they dragged a corpse, only to be swarmed over by Zerglings, adding another corpse to drag back.

_Overmind?_

**Yes?**

_I have found two human females and one human male near the river. None of them are injured._

**Show me. **Relief flooded Hector's mind. In response, the Overlord showed Hector what it was looking at.

There was one person, the man, at the riverbed, gathering water in a leather pouch. A hundred yards away from the river, a woman who Hector didn't recognize, waited at the mouth of a cave. Hector smiled. Then, as he looked upriver, his blood froze in his veins. A Class-5 Chimera, an Ironback, was about five hundred feet upstream, and moving towards the man, its swaying tail ending in a spiked club.

**Call the Drones back and send the Zerglings to the river. **

_As you wish, Overmind._ Hector withdrew from the Overlord's consciousness, and looked at Sara. "Mom's in trouble. I need you to stay here, OK?" Sara's eyes widened, and then she nodded.

Hector's mind went back to the Overlord.

_Overmind?__Do you wish to direct the Swarm?_

**Yes.** The Overlord's consciousness retreated, leaving Hector to see though it. The view was astonishing. He could see for miles in every direction. He looked towards the river, where the Ironback had started fighting the three humans. He willed the Zerglings to go faster, even as the Ironback turned to bring its tail to bear.

His mother summoned a ball of fire and flung it at the Chimera. The flame shattered as it struck the massive beast. It bought its tail around, sending it flying at the man, who barely managed to avoid the club, which continued around. It struck the cave, blasting away the rock where it hit, and breaking off some of the spikes. It roared in pain, and brought its tail back around. The other woman sent a lightning bolt towards the Ironback, which shrugged it off like it had the fireball. The first Zergling crossed the river as the massive tail swung around...

And hit Rebecca's right leg as she tried to step back. The blow had only been glancing, but at least one spike hit her leg at the knee, and her lower leg went flying off into the forest. She collapsed on the ground, clutching at her bloody stump and crying out in pain. Thanks to the Overlord's enhanced senses, he had heard the **snap** of her leg, and her pained cries.

The first Zergling rushed the Ironback, passing underneath the Chimera and slashing at its less protected belly. The Ironback, surprised by this new attacker, immediately allowed itself to fall on the Zergling, crushing its would-be attacker under two tons. By now, the other 29 Zerglings began climbing on the Ironback, looking for any gap in the Ironback's armor. These gaps were found around the neck and tail, though the Zerglings were sure to avoid the club when one of them got too careless and was sent flying by a swing with a resounding **crack**.

Eventually, the Ironback stopped trying to get back up, weak from blood loss. Hector left the Overlord's mind and returned to his body. He called for nine Zerglings. "What happened?" Sara asked. "Is mommy..." Sara trailed off. Hector shook his head. "No, she isn't dead. We need to get to the river." Hector picked up his sister, and put her on his shoulders. They walked away from the Brood Chamber, and moved towards the river. The Zerglings met them near the edge of the creep, and they continued on to the river, moving quickly.

They made it to the river without incident. Hector put Sara down, and ran across the shallow river to where the two unknown people were warily eying the Zerglings as they tied off the bloody stump that used to be Rebecca's leg.

"MOM!" Hector yelled as he hugged her, tears running down his face. "Hector! Are you ok? Where's your..." "MOMMY!" Sara rushed up to her mom and hugged her. Her face was damp from the tears. "I missed you." Rebecca smiled. "I missed you." Sara looked up at her. "Are you OK?" Rebecca put on a brave front for her. "I'm fine." Hector stood, and walked over to the two others. "Who are you two?" The man spoke.

"I am Daniel, and this is my wife Rose. We found your mother exhausted near the river. She had nearly gotten eaten by that Ironback after trying to kill what she thought was an abandoned cub." As he said this, he kept a watchful eye on the Zerglings. Hector caught his look.

"Don't worry about them. They're friendly." Daniel looked at him. "I don't usually use 'friendly' to describe a pack of creatures capable of killing a Class-5 Chimera. How'd you get them to _not _kill you as you came over here, anyways?" Hector shook his head. "A story for another time. I need to get our mother home." Rose shook her head. "I'm sorry, but she can't go anywhere in her condition. She needs to stay here with us until she can get back on her feet... foot." If it weren't for the circumstances, Hector would've laughed. Now, he could only force a smile. Looking back at his mom, holding Sara in her arms, Hector was simply glad she was alive.

"Thank you for helping her. It really does mean a lot to me." Rose smiled.

* * *

In response to Kane's review:

As you see in this chapter, I haven't made all the Zerg mindless, and there will be other Zerg like the Overlord.

Given that this is my story, I am given a bit of creative freedom when it comes to the Zerg embodied in it. I will introduce the Brood Queen in an upcoming chapter. You will just have to see.

I called the story The Swarm Lord because that is what Hector has turned into. Technically, he is actually the human embodiment of the Zerg Overmind, but I wanted to make this story pop out to more people than just StarCraft players.

Drones are more limited than they are in the game. They can morph into certain structures, which you will see as my story continues.

Hector's Swarm produces bio energy directly by absorbing it from living things, either dead through rapid decomposition, or alive through symbiotic siphoning.

The Swarm Lord will evolve in a way that will by no means be unique. It will involve a Cocoon, bio energy, and time.

"Energy Converter" is more in reference to the creep than the Brood Chamber. Sorry if that confused you. As for the meteor, all I will say is that Hector draws his powers as Overmind from it. I'll let your mind wander on that one.


	4. Chapter 3: Revelations and Preparations

**Chapter 3: Revelations and Preparations**

"Thank you for helping her. It really does mean a lot to me." Rose smiled.

Hector walked over to where Sara and his mom were. "Sara, do you want to stay with mommy, or come with me?" Sara looked at Hector, confused. "She isn't coming with us?" Hector shook his head. "She needs to stay here and rest. Sorry." Sara looked back and forth between Hector and her mother. Rebecca spoke up. "Go with your brother, Sara. Don't worry about me." Sara nodded, hugged her mother again, then went with Hector as they worked their way back to the Brood Chamber.

Hector and Sara arrived back at the Brood Chamber with twenty Zerglings, the other eight staying behind to protect Rose, Daniel, and Rebecca. On their way back, Hector had realized something about the creep. In StarCraft 2, creep killed the foliage that it came in contact with, but the trees in the forest were alive and well, if not better off. Hector wondered why that was.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**Why is the creep growing on the trees?**

_The creep is leeching energy from the trees, Overmind._

**Wouldn't that kill it, though?**

_The creep enhances the tree's ability to create food. The creep nourishes the tree, and the tree nourishes the Swarm. Your Swarm, Overmind._

**Will it do this with animals?**

_No, Overmind. The creep will only take from animals. Of course, the animal would notice it, and simply move away._

**So an animal could be killed by the creep?**

_Yes, but it is unlikely. It would have to stay on the creep for an extended period._

**Will it kill animals on its own?**

_Only if you will it to._

**I see. That is all.**

Hector withdrew from the Overlord's mind, and returned to his own. Hector entered the Brood Chamber, which was now fairly well-lit by the sac, which glowed orange. How much energy had been gathered?

_Evolutionary Stage: 1_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 25/500_

_Bio Energy Reserve: 110_

Hector was surprised. Quite a bit of energy had been gathered. How should he spend it? If what the Overlord had said was anything to go on, increasing his creep spread would provide even more energy. However, increasing his territory meant that he would need a larger standing force to protect it, which in turn would need more Overlords to watch over them. At the time, Larva wasn't an issue, as there were now hundreds of the creatures milling about near the Brood Chamber. He found himself thinking back to something he had noticed earlier. What had it been? He thought for a second, and soon the information presented itself to him.

_Brood Queen: Zerg Lesser Matriarch. Can accelerate Larva production, heal Zerg bio-forms, and inject Non-Zerg bio-forms with parasites or Broodlings. Costs 30 bio-energy._

Hector figured that the Brood Queen was a mix of the original and new queens. He had made up his mind. He decided to morph in a Brood Queen, a new Overlord, ten more Drones, and a hundred Zerglings.

The Drones and Zerglings hatched around the same time. Hector had the Drones join the other drones in gathering Chimera corpses, and had the new Zerglings protect them and patrol the creep. The new Overlord hatched soon after, and Hector sent it to hover over Rose and Daniel's cave. If they got into trouble, Hector wanted to be able to protect his mother. The Brood Queen, however, took longer to hatch. The sun had begun dipping below the horizon by the time the Brood Queen hatched.

The Brood Queen more resembled the StarCraft 2 ground queen than the original queen. She had ten separate legs, three on each side for movement, two longer ones on her back for defense, and two in front for manipulating objects that ended in hands. From her spidery body, a more humanoid body sprouted at the front, and a fluid filled sac sat behind it. The Brood Queen's face, though, looked almost human. Hector reached his mind out to the Brood Queen.

**Brood Queen?**

_What would you have of me, Overmind?_ The voice was soft and firm, in stark contrast to the Overlord's.

**The Swarm needs to grow. I want you to accelerate the Brood Chamber's larva production.**

_Of course, Overmind._ Hector left the Brood Queen's mind, and it approached the Chamber. Hector watched, curious of what it would do.

The Brood Queen pointed her fluid-filled abdomen towards the outer wall of the Chamber. A green liquid sprayed from the sac, and, where it contacted the Chamber, egg sacs slowly formed. The Brood Queen walked around the Chamber, spraying away. It came full circle, and Hector noticed that its fluid sac had emptied considerably.

Minutes later, the sacs lining the Chamber burst, and Larva crawled out of the eggs. Hector was impressed. He had expected a few new Larva, not dozens. He entered the Brood Queen's mind.

**Incredible. You have greatly helped grow the Swarm.**

_It was my pleasure, Overmind._

**How long will it take for you to spawn more Larva?**

_It will take a few hours, Overmind._

**Very well. Rest until then.**

_Thank you, Overmind._

Hector returned to his body. Sara was staring wide-eyed at the new arrival. "What is it?" She asked.

"It's a Brood Queen. It makes more Larva."

"Can I be a princess?" Sara looked up at her brother, eyes still wide.

Hector smiled. "You already are." He looked up at the sky. It was getting late, and he could already see some stars. "It's late. We should get to sleep." Sara nodded, and started walking off to the cave.

"Where are you going, Sara?" Hector called. Sara turned to him. "What do you mean?" "We can sleep here." Sara smiled, and walked back over to him. They walked into the Brood Chamber.

Inside, there was a deep red glow from the energy sac. Hector willed it to dim slightly, so that it wouldn't keep them awake. He turned to Sara. "Go to sleep." She nodded, and laid down, resting her head on her arm. Hector watched with slight alarm as creep grew over her sleeping body. The realization hit him a moment later. It was a blanket. The creep below her head raised slightly, making a pillow. He smiled.

**Overlord?**

_Overmind?_

**Wake me if something happens that requires my attention, or when the sun rises.**

_Yes, Overmind._

Hector closed his eyes, and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

The Overlord woke Hector. He quickly came to his senses, a reaction born of necessity.

**Yes, Overlord?**

_This planet's sun has appeared on the horizon._

**Thank you.**

Hector stood up and, after stretching for a moment, left the Brood Chamber. As he emerged, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the light level. Hector noticed that his clothes were covered in the creep, which he brushed off. Near the edge of the clearing, the Brood Queen attended the larva. Hector marveled at the sight. There was more to his Swarm than he realized.

**Brood Queen?**

_Yes, Overmind?_ The Brood queen quickly turned to her master.

**Are you able to spawn more larva yet?**

_Yes, Overmind._

**Please do so.**

_As you wish, Overmind._

Hector left the Brood Queen to her duties, and contacted the Overlord hovering above Rose's cave.

**Overlord?**

_What is your wish, Overmind?_

**How are the humans from yesterday?**

_They are untouched by the native creatures of this world, Overmind._

**And the Zerglings guarding them?**

_Still in the same strength as they were when you slept, Overmind._

**Have they made any kills?**

_Several, Overmind._

**Overlord, could you direct the Drones to gather the corpses?**

_Of course, Overmind._

**Thank you.**

_It is my pleasure, Overmind._

Hector left the Overlord's consciousness, and pulled up his bio energy reserves. He was happy to see that his own personal stockpile had grown to thirty-five, and the reserve had reached 100. Hector quickly morphed in another Overlord, twenty more drones, and another hundred Zerglings. A half hour later, Hector had the Zerglings join the others patrolling the creep. From what the Overlord had said yesterday, expanding his creep coverage would improve the rate at which he could gather energy. He contacted the newly born Overlord.

**Overlord? Are there any clearings in the forest that have been covered by the creep?**

_Allow me a moment to check._ After a few moments, the Overlord reported.

_Overmind, there are several clearings within your parameters._

Hector paused. What would allow his creep to expand? The answer soon appeared.

_Creep Colony: Projects creep (2.5 miles), Capable of defense. Costs one Drone, 50 bio energy._

**Overlord, when we have amassed fifty units of bio energy, send a Drone to the clearing closest to the river.**

_As you command, Overmind._

Hector left the Overlord, and, his maintenance of the Swarm done for now, returned to the Chamber to wake his sister.

His sister was sound asleep. Hector knelt beside her and shook her gently. "Sara, wake up." Sara slowly opened her eyes, and the creep receded, allowing her freedom of movement. Hector brushed bits of creep off her clothes. "Good morning, Sara." She smiled. "Good morning." "How are you?" Hector asked. Sara rubbed her stomach. "I'm hungry." Hector smiled, and walked over to where the bodies of the Screechers had been stored. The creep flashed white for a moment, heating the bodies within, before parting, allowing Hector to break off a leg effortlessly. He walked back over to his sister, and gave her the leg of meat. "Eat up."

After she had eaten breakfast, the two decided that they would see how their mother was doing. With thirty Zerglings guarding them, Hector and Sara made it to the river without incident. They crossed the river, and Hector caught a glimpse of Drones dragging a Chimera corpse across the river downstream of them, their winged bodies floating atop the water. Across the river, Hector was surprised to see everyone awake already. Daniel stood at the entrance to the cave, standing watch.

Daniel waved them over, and Sara immediately ran into her mother's waiting arms. Hector walked up to Daniel. "I never got to ask you yesterday. How is it that you and Rose managed to be here when our mom needed you?"

A tear rolled down Daniel's eye. "We came from a village not too far from here, called Drex. A few days ago, slavers from Aetrix came and demanded that the women and children go with them. When we refused, they attacked. We were the only survivors, and I am ashamed to say that we only survived because we hid. We are both Magic users. I am a light adept, she is a darkness adept. We made ourselves invisible, and we fled."

Tears ran down Hector's face. "You weren't the only survivors. My mother, Rebecca, my little sister, Sara, and myself are also survivors." Hector embraced Daniel. Daniel returned the embrace, then held Hector at arm's length. Another tear streamed down his face. "You're the spitting image of Timothy."

Hector's eyes widened. "Y-you knew dad?" Daniel nodded. "We grew up together. I only moved to Drex a day before the slavers came. How is he? Is he with you?" Hector shook his head. "He died protecting us." Daniel's eyes closed, allowing the news of his friend's death to sink in. "Bastards. They will pay."

Hector took a step back. Daniel's eyes filled with hate and sorrow. A soft glow pushed through Daniel's skin, as though it were on fire underneath. It only lasted for a moment, but Hector knew what it meant. Daniel had moved up a class. The loss of his friend had pushed him past the threshold into his next level.

Hector spoke softly. "We will make them pay for it, but we can't just rush headlong into this. We would come out of it worse than when we came into it. Do you understand?" Daniel looked into Hector's eyes, and took a deep breath. "I understand." They hugged again, then Hector went into the cave to see his mother.

He walked into the cave just in time to see something extraordinary. His sister was sitting next to their mother, her hands on their mom's leg stump, which was bleeding. A soft glow escaped from Sara's hands, and Hector saw the bleeding slow, and eventually stop. Had he just seen what he thought he had seen? Hector walked up to his mom, eying the stump. It had stopped bleeding. He confirmed it when he removed the bandages.

Hector turned to Sara, his eyes wide. "Sara... Do you know what you just did?" Sara shook her head. "Was it bad? Did I hurt mommy?" Hector quickly shook his head. "Nonono, I think you actually helped her. Sara... You can use life magic." Rebecca stared at him. "Are you sure? I mean, what you are saying has serious implications." Hector looked at his mother. "Your leg stopped bleeding, mom. That is proof enough."

Hector's mind was still reeling. Magic was broken into eight major groups: fire, water, earth, wind, energy, light, darkness, and life. Being a life adept was rare, less than 1%. That his little sister was one was incredible. But at only five, she wouldn't be able to do much with her powers.

Hector hugged Rebecca. "Don't worry, mom. I won't let anything happen to her. Right now I need you to focus on getting better." His mother smiled. "Thank you, Hector." He turned to Sara. "Do you want to stay with mommy for a bit longer?" Sara nodded. "OK. When you are done, just come straight back, OK?" She nodded again. Hector kissed her forehead, then walked out of the cave.

Hector returned to the Brood Chamber, and sent the Zerglings that had guarded him back to the cave. Multiple thoughts were racing through his mind, but all were stopped short when the Overlord floating above the river contacted him.

_Overmind, there is a group of armed humans approaching._

**What? Show me!** In the Overlord's mind, Hector saw about two dozen armed men marching towards the river. Ten of the men had axes, and ten had swords. The other four carried the distinctive staves of Adepts. Hector was about to dismiss them when he saw that one of them was holding a banner. Hector only knew which city it represented because it had been the same banner that had flown when Drex was razed. The banner was that of the city of Aetrix, and they had returned.

**Overlord, call 100 Zerglings to the cave near the river.**

_Would you have me command them if combat begins, Overmind?_

**No. This is personal.**

* * *

** Tsumaniatuzen1**

Sara is Hector's sister, and Rebecca is his mother.

What happened with the Ironback was a fluke, pure luck. It was distracted by the three at the cave, and so wasn't expecting to be hit from behind. When it sat down on the Zergling, it couldn't get up because by then there was too much weight, and it was already losing blood anyways. In a head-on battle, the Ironback would've easily taken out more than the two it did here.

** Kane**

Rebecca will get her leg back. The Zerg will play a part in this, but not in the way you would think.


	5. Chapter 4: Evolution's Shadow

**Chapter 4: Evolution's Shadow**

**Overlord, call 100 Zerglings to the cave near the river.**

_Would you have me command them if combat begins, Overmind?_

**No. This is personal.**

Hector left the Overlord's mind, and sprinted to the cave, making it there in record time though by the time he was there, all of his Zerglings had arrived. Hector walked into the cave.

"One of my Overlords have informed me that there is a group of men coming his way. They fly the banner of Aetrix. I will lead the Swarm into combat. Please stay here until I come to get you." Daniel shook his head. "I won't be a coward again. I come with you whether you want me to or not." Hector sighed. "Fine then. Come quickly." Daniel kissed Rose, and went with Hector.

Minutes later, Hector had positioned his Zerglings right in the path of the approaching force, then had them burrow into the ground. He was pleasantly surprised that he didn't need to research it, and he wondered what other upgrades came standard, but he could wait. A minute passed. Two minutes, three minutes. After five had passed, Hector wondered if he had positioned his Swarm in the right spot, and considered that maybe the force was moving past their flank.

Then the force exited the cover of the forest, stopping a hundred yards in front of them. One man stepped out from the center of the group, clutching a double-bladed axe, and shouted across the clearing. "Who are you two who would stand before Fredrik, son of Alexi and Susan, and his men of the town of Aetrix, and therefore its chief, Alexi?"

"Fredrik, know that I am Hector, son of Timothy and Rebecca, and brother of Sara and Joshua, of the former village of Drex, a village burnt to the ground by the hand of your people!" Hector shouted back. Daniel stepped forward and yelled, "And I am Daniel, son of Daniel and Hellen, husband to Rose, daughter of Thorton and Kylie, of the razed village of Drex!"

Hector continued. "We are among the few survivors of our town's destruction, brought about by the greed of your townspeople! My father and brother are dead because of your town! So I ask you, why have you come here?"

Fredrik shouted his response with a hint of rage. "We come here by the orders of my father, the chief of Aetrix, as a scouting action for a raid against another village. Now stand aside and allow us passage!"

Hector cried out in anger. "You would seek to ruin more lives for the gain of yourselves? If this is your mission, then I have no choice but to act on my conscience and refuse you passage! Turn back or face you own annihilation!"

Fredrik shouted out again, making no attempt to mask his rage. "Allow our passage or know that the last of Drex died because of your own choice!"

Daniel responded with equal rage. "If you wish to end more lives, then you shall start with ours! If you wish for passage, COME TAKE IT!"

Fredrik smiled. "If that is your choice, then SO BE IT! ATTACK!" The men surged forwards...

And were soon surrounded by 100 Zerglings as they emerged from underground. For a few seconds, the raiders stood in shock at the mass of enemies. They snapped out of their stupor, however, when the banner-carrier fell dead, his head removed by a single swipe. Suddenly, a pillar of lightning shot from the staff of one of the Adepts, and pillars of fire from the rest. Four Zerglings died, but more ran forward, cutting at the raiders, who countered with their own weapons. A Zerglings lost its head to an ax, only for the axeman to be impaled by the spike of another Zergling. Hector didn't hold back, though, and continued to send the Zerglings against the men.

Slowly, the number of men fell, and eventually, the last died, slain by the teeth of a Zergling. Hector stared, awed by the carnage that had bee wrought. For the deaths of twenty-five, Hector had lost double that. He found himself walking among the bodies, amazed by his losses. He was looking for the Adepts, looking for their cores.

Hector knew that an Adept's core was the source of his or her magic. There were many Chimera that had cores as well, but they tended to be the higher level ones. The cores, so he had been told, could be used to quicken the classing of an Adept by fusing it to the recipient's own core. His mother, a Class-2 Energy Adept, could use the core of the raider's Energy Adept. He soon found what he was looking for.

The man's body lay crumpled on the ground, his back snapped. Hector found himself thankful that he had died in such a way that spared the man's core. He called Daniel over.

"Daniel, I need you to remove this man's core." Daniel nodded, and crouched next to the man, then concentrated. Slowly, a spot of yellow began to appear on the man's brown leather armor, growing over the center of his chest. A minute later, a solid orb yellow no more than an inch in diameter hovered just over the dead man's chest. Hector reached out and, after a nod from Daniel, plucked it out of the air. Daniel gasped, exhausted from the effort.

"Are you OK, Daniel?" Daniel nodded. "Just... a bit... winded. Extracting... a core... isn't easy." Hector nodded, and put the core into a leather pouch that hung from his waist. "Can you walk?" Daniel nodded, then stood. They walked back to the cave, reflecting on what had just happened.

Hector and Daniel made it back to the cave with the sun directly overhead. Inside the cave, Hector saw a wave of relief wash over his family. He hugged his sister and mom. "What happened? Did they..." Hector shook his head. "They won't be bothering us anymore." Hector pulled the Core from the pouch, and gave it to his mom. "What is it?" Sara asked. "A Core. It'll make mommy stronger." Rebecca held the core in one hand. She closed her hand over the ball, and a soft yellow glow escaped from her fist. When the hand opened, the Core was gone. "Where'd it go?" Sara asked. "It's complicated. I'll explain it when you're older." Sara frowned at this explanation, then asked "Can we leave now?" Hector smiled and nodded. After kissing his mother's forehead, Hector and Sara headed back to the Brood Chamber, guarded by the Zerglings.

About a mile from the river, Hector and his sister walked onto the carpet of creep. Hector wondered why it had come out so far. Then, as he peered into the clearing ahead, he had his answer. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a Creep Colony. On top of it was a bright orange bulb, the only part of the structure not covered in creep. Hector wondered what the purpose of the bulb was, but he put the thought aside. They continued on to the Brood Chamber.

Back at the Brood Chamber, Hector had fifty bio energy. He spent half on Zerglings, and morphed a new Overlord. Now more confident in his Swarm's abilities, Hector decided that he needed to move to the next level.

Hector found himself constantly coming back to his mom's leg. How could he fix it? He felt responsible for it, for not being fast enough in taking down the Ironback. The Brood Queen could transfuse, but it only worked on Zerg life. He considered infestation, but quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. No, he wouldn't do that to her, not unless there was no other way. From what he had gathered out of Chris's memories, infestation would not yield good results for most, leaving them a shell of their former selves, hopelessly dedicated to the Swarm. He was also worried that Rebecca would end up something like Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades.

Would his sister be able to do anything? She was a life Adept, after all, but at what class would she be able to let mom walk again, if she even could? Would infestation be the only option available? Hector looked over to his sister, who was playing with a Zergling, riding it like a horse. He smiled.

_Overmind, there are multiple Chimera gathered by the new Creep Colony._

**What? Are they attacking it? Are they moving towards the river?**

_Overmind, they slay each other._ The Overlord showed Hector what it was seeing.

At least fifty Class-Two and Class-Three Chimeras were fighting on the creep that was growing near the Creep Colony. Hector's mind raced. Why were they fighting each other in such massive numbers? It wasn't unusual to see a half-dozen fighting over a kill, but conflicts of this size only happened when two packs of Chimera wanted the same...

Wanted the same land. They were fighting for territory, killing each other on the Creep! Hector felt elated. They wanted to claim the Creep Colony as their own, so that they could feed off of the creep it generated. Hector wondered if they might even nest near the Creep Colony. He thought over the pros and cons. He would have a constant supply of corpses, and therefore energy. He would be able to protect his borders more easily. Hector immediately contacted the Overlord again.

**Overlord, Are there any clearings in the forest that are within the Creep?**

_Several, Overmind._

**Whenever we get enough bio energy, send a drone out to one of them and have it morph into a Creep Colony there.**

_As you wish, Overmind._

Hector left the Overlord's consciousness. He realized how effortless it was to communicate with the more independent of his Zerg. The first time he had done it, he had frozen up. Now, he found himself able to move around as he was in their consciousness, though taking control of them still left him helpless.

After having the Brood Queen spawn more Larva, and giving Sara another Screecher leg, Hector found himself with more time on his hands than he would've liked. He felt bored, and boredom was not ideal. He found himself probing his own consciousness, digging into his own mind, his own memories. He found familiar feelings: love, kinship, respect, and compassion for those of his family, a group he had accepted Rose and Daniel into.

Hector broke out of his concentration when he noticed his bio energy had skyrocketed. From the five he'd had an hour ago, he found himself with _250_ reserve bio energy. Then two hundred. One fifty. One hundred. Fifty. Zero. Five new Creep Colonies had started morphing in, five new sources of protection and energy or his growing swarm. Hector smiled. His swarm was growing faster than he could've hoped. The prospect of evolution neared. What would happen? Hector contacted one of his Overlord.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**What will happen when I push the Swarm to the next stage of evolution?**

_The Swarm will fall dormant, as will you. The larva will stop spawning, and all activity will halt._

**How long?**

_A day shall you sleep, Overmind._

**I see. Thank you.**

_It is my pleasure, Overmind._

Hector left the Overlord, and went over to Sara. She was still riding the Zergling.

"Sara, we need to go see mommy." Sara nodded, and started to get off. Hector stopped her. "It'll be faster if you stay on the Zergling." Sara smiled, obviously happy to stay on her ride. Hector gathered a group of Zerglings, and left towards the river. Hector's mind was racing.

At the river, Hector was surprised to see the creep had reached under the river and was appoaching the cave. They crossed and came to the cave, where the three were sitting. Sara immediately jumped off of her Zergling and ran over to her mommy. Hector hung back, letting her hug Rebecca. After a minute, Hector cleared his throat. All eyes were on him.

"You all know that I have been given the control of the Zerg Swarm. That they obey my every whim, and protect us to the best of their abilities." Everyone nodded. "Soon, I will be able to improve that protection, and there is even a chance that I can give my mother back her leg." Rebecca's eyes went to the stump that had once been a leg. "However, when the Swarm... Classes up, it will fall dormant, as will I, for a day." The cave was silent. "I wanted you all to know that it was going to happen, so that you would be ready. I don't know what will happen during that time, but know that whatever happens, it will be for the better. I will tell you before I begin the process."

The cave remained quiet. Hector moved on to his next item. "Also, know that soon, a purple goo will reach into this cave. Don't worry about it, as it will not hurt you. However, what might cause you some concern are the Chimera nesting at its source, a mile from the river. Again, this shouldn't worry you, as they will be too busy fighting other Chimera to be interested in you. However, just in case, I will increase the number of Zerglings that will guard your cave."

Daniel spoke. "Thank you for telling us of these details beforehand. When do you think hat you will do dormant?" Hector thought for a moment before answering. "Given the current rate of energy collection, I would say that the Swarm will go dormant around evening two days from now." Rose's eyes widened.

"So soon?" Hector nodded. "The sooner, the better."


	6. Chapter 5: Kindred Spirit of The Swarm

Thank you all for your reviews, and for the 1,000 views.

Tsunamiatunzen1: Yes, Hector lost fifty Zerglings in his first battle. No, infestation won't be as bad is it was in the games. Yes, there will be a time when Hector is attacked while dormant, and yes, I do plan on having a recurring enemy.

turtwig163: Thanks for the praise. In my opinion, I don't think that the battle was one-sided. Hector lost 50% of the force he went in with, mainly because he is inexperienced. If you feel like that was one-sided, though, then don't worry. Hector won't be able to hold this luck forever. Also, I am not trying to directly copy West Bridge's story, and I intend to further deviate as time goes on.

coincidenceless: "Thank you for the grammar lesson." I said.

"You are welcome."

Light Lord Cybergate: Thanks for the praise. I don't intend to introduce the Protoss. As for your last question, the entire Swarm goes dormant. The extra Zerglings are there to protect them as he prepares to go up to the next Class.

Kane: The whole invisibility thing that Daniel and Rose pull off works because they are a Light Adept and a Darkness Adept. They make themselves disappear visually, though they could still be bumped into. The process is called "Shadow Walking", and is actually a viable military tactic. Other Affinities have different interactions with each other. For example, a Life Adept (like Sara) of a high enough class could create an elemental out of a sculpture made by an Earth Adept. As for Sara specifically, I plan to see her abilities centered more around an out of combat role. As for Hector, he will receive some abilities, and these will depend on his bio energy. As for the Cores, you'll need to keep reading.

**Chapter 5: Kindred Spirit of the Swarm**

"So soon?"

Hector nodded. "The sooner, the better."

With that, Hector kissed his mother's forehead. She smiled. Hector looked at Sara, who was seated by her mother. "Sara, do you want to stay with mommy, Rose and Daniel?" She nodded. "OK. I'll see you tomorrow." He hugged her, and she hugged him. Hector turned on his heel, and left with the Zerglings, taking not of the creep that had now passed the riverbank. He gave his Creep Colony a wide berth.

At the Brood Chamber, Hector decided to divide his Zerglings between guarding the Brood Chamber, the Creep Colonies that were morphing, and his human family. He shuddered. Human. If the were human, was he Zerg? Was he still human? He shook his head. It was all so confusing. He considered that maybe he was infested, but that brought up the issue of what would happen if he infested his mother to heal her. Would she share his control over the Swarm? Or would she become little more than a slave bound to him? If it was the former, the issue of her becoming like Sarah Kerrigan posed a risk to him. If it was the latter... Hector couldn't help but shudder at the thought. He didn't want that for her.

He spent the rest of the day jumping between the minds of his Swarm. It was through the eyes of an Overlord that he saw the creation of a Creep Colony. It was the first time he had seen a Zerg structure birthed. The cocoon that it had been in simply burst open in a spray of creep, which stuck to whatever it hit. He figured that the Creep Colony had morphed inside of the cocoon, and then it began making creep. When the cocoon reached its bursting point, it simply popped, spraying the creep a considerable distance. Hector continued to watch it. And about an hour later, he learned what the orange bulb at the top of the Creep Colony was for.

The bulb contracted, and then expanded, spraying out a cloud of orange mist. The mist caught on the wind, and was carried away. The bulb, he noticed, had lost its color, becoming more brown. About fifteen minutes later, the Chimera began arriving at the Creep Colony. Hector was amazed. The Creep Colony actually drew the Chimera in. Within the hour, the Chimera had started fighting each other, providing their corpses for the growth of the Swarm. After an hour, most of the fighting had stopped, and the victorious Chimera settled around the Creep Colony, some even digging burrows into the creep covered ground.

Hector left the Overlord's consciousness, and returned to his own. By then, the sun had dipped below the trees, so Hector had moved into the Brood Chamber as he observed his Creep Colony. Now, as he watched his bio energy count skyrocket, as displayed by the energy sac in the Brood Chamber, he marveled at just how many Chimera had died to make the sac change from a dull red to a brilliant orange, at how many bodies had been absorbed by the Creep to make his bio energy count go from around 20 to more than a thousand. Up until his connection to the Swarm, he had been hard pressed to stay alive when a Class-Two Chimera threatened. Now, he could kill with a thought, a glance. How much more powerful would he become when he cam out of dormancy and into a Class-Two Swarm?

Hector dimmed the energy sac, and set his head down on the ground. He welcomed the creep as it covered his body, and raised his head. He drifted off into sleep.

* * *

The next two days were uneventful. Other than Rose and Rebecca each reaching Class-Two with Daniel, little happened. Hector had Larva birthed, his sister stayed fed, and everything was fairly normal. As the sun was beginning to sink below the trees in the evening of the second day, Hector's energy hit 5000. He made the trip to the cave, guarded by his Zerg.

He entered the cave. There was tension in the air. "My Swarm has reached 5000 units of bio energy. I can begin evolution tonight. Under better circumstances, I would bring you within the defensive perimeter provided by the Chimera nests, but I won't risk the chance of something going wrong. I don't know what will happen during the dormant period, so I ask you all to stay here until I come to get you. OK?" Everyone nodded. Before he left, He knelt beside his mother and sister. "I love you both. Please stay safe." He kissed them on their foreheads. Standing, he turned to Daniel and Rose.

"I want you both to know that I consider you part of our family. You saved my mother, and you look after my sister. I will return the favor. Stay safe." Hector hugged them both, and they returned his embrace. Rebecca looked on approvingly. A single tear ran down Daniel's eye. Hector walked to the mouth of the cave, and turned to face his family. He said "I will see you tomorrow." and walked off, his Zerglings following.

Hector made it to the Brood Chamber as the sun dipped below the trees. He looked around, gazing upon the gathered Swarm. He hoped that it would all be there when he came to.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**Begin the Evolution.**

_Yes, Overmind._

Hector felt his collective bio energy drain out of its reserve. Something in his head clicked, and he felt creep starting to crawl up his legs. Hector suddenly felt dizzy, and, before he blacked out, he saw his overlords sink down to the ground, joining the rest of his Swarm on the creep.

* * *

Hector woke up in a pitch black space. It was filled with liquid, and Hector felt it on his body, like a thousand fingers pulling at his skin. It didn't hurt, and he seemed to be able to breathe. He couldn't see the changes occurring, but he felt them. Hector passed out again, but as he did, his mind left his body, traveling to some unknown destination.

Hector's mind eventually made contact with another person, and Hector didn't know why this person was the one his mind had rushed to. He didn't know what was so significant about the mind he touched. There were a million questions running through his mind, but in the end, he asked one.

"Who are you?"

"I am Dain. I am the Patriarch of the Swarm on the world of Prime."

"I am Hector, consciousness of the Swarm of Dreyparx."

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know. You have just as much of a clue as I do."

"Are we near each other? I have never felt your presence before."

"Nor I yours. Do you think we will ever meet in person?"

"I wouldn't doubt it as a possibility. Perhaps we were meant to find each other."

"It will take time. My swarm numbers only a hundred strong, and I have yet to see anything that will fly other than my Overlords."

"One hundred? My swarm barely numbers thirty!"

"Thirty? Why have you not built up your forces more?"

"Haven't had the time. I have Protoss and humans around, causing some trouble."

"I haven't seen Protoss yet but it's not like I have no enemies here. Just thinking you need to build up your forces."

"I intend to, I lost some Zerglings defending my territory earlier. The trouble is I got limited income."

"The swarm is adaptable, that's one of its beauties. Find something they can convert to extra energy."

"I'll try. I am mostly interested in evolving my swarm further however, because I am not used to lacking Hydralisks this long."

"They are a powerful addition to the swarm. Getting them takes a little work though."

"I've noticed. I've mostly got Zerglings and now something called Roaches. I hope they'll help."

"Definitely, just make sure to keep them alive, if they are wounded, retreat them and burrow, that lets them heal and they will be back for more soon."

"Thanks for the advice. This is nothing like I remembered from home."

"Home?"

"Um, have you ever heard of a place called Earth, or Terra?"

"I have memories of it, yes. It's mostly a jumble, though. I do, however, have dreams."

"Dreams?"

"Yes. One of the most recurring ones is that of a person dying. He charges into a home, is shot at, and collapses to the ground, dead. I can't shake the feeling that the person in my dream is me."

"That's strange. I recall my life, although its blurry, when I was back on earth. Car accident. Some voice called out to me, and next thins I knew I was drawing breath, but my reflection was no longer my own. I'm not sure what caused this, but..."

"But what?"

"I like it. Its frightening, its exhilarating, its challenging, but it's also rewarding. I am still coming to understand the power, evolving my swarm ahead. Some of my swarm's members have shown themselves quite intelligent and logical, while others I believe are no more intelligent than a smart dog."

"I know the feeling. There are many dangerous beasts on my planet, and even the weakest of them pose a threat to anyone without magic, and even some with. With the Swarm at my command, I think that, with time, there would be no man or beast that could challenge me. But, I always go back to that first moment of power. The promise I made..."

"What promise?"

"I swore that I would protect my family. I don't know who or what gave me this power, but, for whatever reason, I received it so that I could protect my family. I said that I would do anything to protect them."

"Anything?"

"I realize that it was foolish, but I was unsure of what was real and what wasn't at that time. Now I wonder what it would want with me."

"Well, I am not sure if you are dreaming of me, or if I am dreaming of you, but this seems too real. Perhaps it is real, and just something we do not understand yet. Either way, we both command a swarm of our own. That makes you, at least in my eyes, part of the distant family at least."

"I appreciate the thought."

"As for the promises, I made a wish that I could have been with my family too. I think my host body's owner wished to be with his family a little longer too. I think that's a common theme between us. Either way, I understand your point. I'll say this once, because I believe you will not scold me for it."

"I'm listening."

"I'll do what it takes to protect my family. Even if it means burning this world to ashes so no-one can harm them, I will do what it takes. Its not my first choice, but compared to my family, these people don't matter so much to me anymore. I know there are good people, but there are also too many bad people. Too many monsters. If push comes to shove, I'll show this world called Prime that you do not want to piss off the Zerg."

"Then we both value our families. I wish we could talk longer, but I feel myself waking. However, before I leave you, allow me to give you some advice."

"What advice would you give me?"

"Hold on to your humanity. The Swarm is powerful, and power corrupts. Hold on to what makes you human, and treasure it above all else. If your humanity is lost, so are you."

"Do you speak of experience?"

"I lost my father and my youngest brother in an attack from raiders. When I had the chance for revenge... I caused heartbreak for 25 families who did nothing to me. I took fathers, just as they took mine. At the time, I felt it was justified, but when I saw the mutilated bodies of those corpses, It made me realize that, for a moment, we were one in the same."

"Thank you, Hector. I look forward to speaking with you again."

"As do I Dain. As do I."

* * *

Hector's mind flew back to his body, and as it reached his body, his eyes flew open. The liquid that had filled the chrysalis earlier had drained away, and some light shone through from the outside. He pushed against the walls that contained him. They stretched slightly, then broke. Fading light shone on his face as Hector emerged from the chrysalis, and all around him, the Swarm, _his_ Swarm, broke their own cocoons.


	7. Chapter 6: Promises Made & Promises Kept

To everyone wondering about my usage of Winter Feline's OC in my story: He came to me, asked me if I wanted to do it. I said yes, and we collabed on the script. If it is at all possible, I would love to see Dain appear again in my story, but that depends on whether he wants to do so or not. I will not, however, make any attempts to intertwine my story with East Bridge's story, unless he explicitly PM's me and asks me to do so, or merge my storyline with Winter Feline's unless, like with East Bridge, he specifically asks me to. If either party decides that they want to merge stories, I will make a spinoff of this one, rather than have this one moved from what I originally wanted it to be.

**Chapter 6: Promises Made, Promises Kept**

Fading light shone on his face as Hector emerged from the chrysalis, and all around him, the Swarm, _his_ Swarm, broke their own cocoons.

The first thing that Hector noticed about his new swarm was the size. His Zerglings, originally about the size of a golden retriever, had grown to the size of a small horse, and they sported long, thin wings as a result of a genetic mutation. His Drones, once about three feet across, were now double that, their pincer-mouths now opening at least three feet. His Overlords, though hadn't grown, though his Brood Queen's abdomen had grown decidedly larger.

Hector also noticed he had changed as well. His skin had armored itself. Though not a true carapace, most of his body, barring his face, had taken on a brown color, and a texture mirroring that of plate armor. Hector tested it, slamming a fist onto his arm. To his surprise, the skin where the fist had hit suddenly hardened to shield itself from the blow.

Hector also took note that his connection to the Swarm had improved. It was more automatic to manipulate his Swarm. He felt that he had developed a more widespread connection to his Swarm, but he had retained the ability to individually manipulate them.

His senses had sharpened as well. He could, even in the low light, count the number of teeth in an individual Zergling, could smell the surrounding forest, hear the crawling Larva. It was all so incredible. Effortlessly, Hector brought a familiar set of information to his mind.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 250/1000_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 1000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

Hector sighed. In a day, he had gathered 1000 units of bio energy without doing anything. Still, waiting nearly a month to evolve again didn't appeal to him, but he decided that more Creep Colonies would solve that issue. He wondered what other changes had affected his Swarm and himself.

_Available Genetic Information:_

_Class 1- Zergling, Drone, Overlord, Brood Queen, Creep Colony_

_Class 2- Baneling, Roach, Hydralisk, Overseer, Blade Queen, Hatchery_

_Available Psionic Abilities:_

_Class 1- Swarm Embodiment_

_Class 2- Mind Bolt, Mind Lock_

Hector was happy to see that he could now morph in Hatcheries. He enjoyed the prospect of more Larva. He was also glad to see that he had other strains available to strengthen his existing Zerglings. However, "Blade Queen" just didn't sound good. It was too similar to "Queen of Blades", and he thought again of Kerrigan.

Hector was also surprised that he had "learned" spells. He figured that "Swarm Embodiment" was his ability to command his Swarm, but was intrigued by what his two new additions were.

_Mind Bolt- Projects a destructive bolt of energy towards a target. Damage potential relative to amount of bio energy expended._

_Mind Lock- Psionically paralyzes target. Drains 1 bio energy per second per target._

Hector couldn't help but smile. He had already figured out that his Bio Energy increased his strength, but it appeared that it also functioned as fuel for his spells. He allowed himself the idea of paralyzing a Chimera, then obliterating it. It made him smile.

Hector sighed. His curiosity got the best of him as he investigated what a Blade Queen was.

_Blade Queen- Zerg Field Commander, Protector of the Swarm. Capability relative to amount of stored Bio Energy. Can channel Bio Energy into attacks. Costs 100 Bio Energy._

The new information laid some of Hector's fears to rest. It relied on bio energy, so if it went rogue, then all he had to do was drain it somehow. He figured that he could use the creep for that. The cost amazed him, though. He wondered if it was really worth more than the 200 Zerglings that he could get for the same cost. He decided that he was just too curious. He gave the order to morph one in, and felt his reserves deplete.

He suddenly saw the reason for why the Brood Queen's abdomen had grown. He saw a cocoon slide out of it and onto the creep. Hector walked over to where it lay. Inside of the translucent sac, Hector thought he saw the body of a person on the other side. He was immediately alarmed.

**Brood Queen?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**Is... is there a person inside of the cocoon you just laid?**

_No, Overmind. The Blade Queen is not human any more than I._

**I see. Thank you.**

_Of course, Overmind._

Hector's concerns satisfied, Hector reached his mind out to the morphing Blade Queen. It was not yet fully developed, but he felt a sense of loyalty towards him. The last of his fears extinguished for now, Hector looked up at the night sky. He didn't feel exceptionally tired, but he decided to take a quick nap.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**Wake me when the sun rises.**

_As you wish, Overmind._

* * *

Hector didn't dream of Dain, as he had during his evolutionary dormancy. He felt the gentle nudge of the Overlord in his mind, and his eyes opened. He rose from where he had slept. His reserved bio energy had climbed back to 1000. He frowned. Why had his income slowed? He figured that the Chimera had probably settled down near their respective nests. Again, the notion of somehow training them entered his mind, but he pushed it aside for a later date. Right now, Hector had two things on his mind: The Blade Queen and his family.

He noticed that the cocoon of the Blade Queen had grown slightly, and that there were several areas that were stretching out. He walked over to the cocoon, but about halfway to his destination, it hatched.

The Blade Queen was laying on its stomach, breathing rather heavily. Hector increased his pace, and arrived by the creature as it pushed itself onto its hands and knees. Hector pulled the Blade Queen to its feet, then stepped back to give it space.

The Blade Queen looked eerily similar to Kerrigan's infested form, but Hector noted there were several differences. For one, the Blade Queen lacked Kerrigan's distinctive clawed wings and dreadlocks. In place of the dreadlocks, Hector was surprised to see real hair, black hair that fell just past her shoulders. However, Hector noticed that, without the clawed wings, the Blade Queen lacked any sort of distinctive weapons. Otherwise, the Blade Queen's body was almost identical to Kerrigan's.

In his mind, a new line of information made itself known in a familiar set of numbers.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 250/1000_

_Blade Queen Bio Energy: 0_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 1000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

The Blade Queen began to sink back to the ground, and Hector moved to catch her. "Thank you." The Blade Queen's voice was smooth and welcoming. Hector's eyes widened.

"You can talk?" The Blade Queen nodded. "Are you well?"

The Blade Queen looked at him with emerald-green eyes. "I'm weak. I need bio energy." Hector nodded, and closed his eyes. He felt some of his own energy leave his body, but felt the Blade Queen's body lighten as she held more of her own weight. She stood and turned to him.

"I do have a few questions."

"What are they, Overmind?"

"Does the name 'Sarah Kerrigan' mean anything to you?"

The Blade Queen shook her head. "No, Overmind. I had not heard that name until just now."

Relief washed over Hector. Looking at the Blade Queen before him, He felt inclined to have a name for the face in front of him. He didn't feel right calling something that looked so human "Blade Queen".

"Do you have a name?"

"I do not, Overmind."

Hector thought for a moment. "Then you shall be called Maria." Hector smiled inwardly. Maria had been the name of Chris's mother.

"Very well, Overmind."

Hector paused for a moment before asking the question that had bugged him from the moment he had actually had a good look at her. "Why are you called a Blade Queen, Maria?"

In response, Maria tensed for an instant. Her left arm fluidly lengthened two feet, becoming a fearsome looking sword that seamlessly grew out of her arm. Her other arm sprouted a growth about halfway between the wrist and elbow, that quickly grew into a shield about two feet wide. Her carapace grew slightly, encasing her in a sort of armored bodysuit, though her head and face remained unchanged. Hector's eyes widened at the sight. Maria had gone from almost innocent looking to battle-ready in nothing flat.

"Impressive." Maria smiled, then allowed herself to revert back.

Hector ordered his Swarm to resume their duties, then turned to Maria. "Come with me." Maria nodded, and followed Hector as he worked his way over to the cave where his family was waiting. As they went, Hector started talking with Maria.

"Maria?"

"Yes, Overmind?"

"Is it possible to use the Brood Queen to restore a limb that a human has lost?"

Maria shook her head. "No, Overmind. The Brood Queen can restore Zerg flesh and bone, but not human."

"What if the human were to be infested? Would it work then?"

Maria was silent for a while before responding. "Then, the Brood Queen could heal the human, but restoring a lost limb would still be nearly impossible, as the queen still wouldn't be fully compatible. At best, the human would be given a synthetic creep leg, but it wouldn't last."

Hector nodded. "What if a human healer were infested along with the other human? Would the healer be able to restore the lost limb?"

Maria was silent again. As they reached the river, Maria responded. "It is possible, provided the healer was skilled enough, and that there was a sufficient supply of bio energy, an infested human healer would solve the issue of compatibility."

Hector's questions satisfied, He crossed the river, and entered the cave, Maria following close behind. Everyone was awake, and they looked up in awe at the sight of Hector's new body. Daniel took particular notice of Maria, though looked away when he received a nasty look from Rose.

"As you can see, the evolution has changed my body. I promise that I am still the same person you knew a few days ago." Hector knelt next to his mother, and hugged her. She returned his embrace slowly, but held him tightly once she was sure that the pseudo carapace was safe to touch.

Hector broke the embrace, and looked at his mother with a serious expression. "Mom, I think that I can give you your leg back, but there is a price." She looked at him with a confused expression.

"What price?"

"You and Sara would have to..." He gestured to his new body. His mother's eyes widened in realization.

"You mean... become like you? Is that even possible?" Hector nodded. "There's no other way?"

"If there was, I wouldn't be asking this of you and Sara."

Rebecca looked between her leg, Hector's new body, and her little girl, who was staring wide-eyed at Maria. She closed her eyes. "Will it be painful?"

"No. The process won't hurt." Rebecca nodded. Hector went over to Sara. "Sara, I think I can make Mommy's leg better, but I need your help, OK?" Sara nodded. "Sara, I need you to trust me, OK? Do you trust me?" Again, Sara nodded.

Hector hugged Sara, even as the creep at her feet slowly began to move over her body. Hector felt a drain from his reserves, 500 bio energy gone as he infested his sister. He held her in his arms for as long as he could, but eventually released her. However, Hector didn't break eye contact with his sister, not until her face was covered.

Hector turned to Rose and Daniel, who were standing in shock. "Sorry, but I can't move my mother in her condition, and I will be easier if I have everything in one place. I hope you understand."

"Of course we understand. If it gets your mother back on her feet sooner, we're glad to help."

Hector smiled, then turned to his mother. "Unfortunately, it will be a bit before I can change you as well. Doing so pulls a lot of energy."

Rebecca nodded. "It's alright. I don't mind having to wait a bit longer."

About an hour later, Hector hugged his mother as the Creep worked its way up her body. Then he let her go as the creep covered her entirely. He turned to Maria. "How long will it take for them to come back out?"

"Your mother will only take a few hours, since she has finished growing, but your sister will take longer, so that she can continue to grow after she has been changed. Maybe an hour or so more."

Hector sighed. He would be waiting longer than he would've liked. As it was, they would emerge in the afternoon. Until then, he busied himself with having his Zerglings scout out the surrounding countryside. He was looking for Aetrix. He wanted to keep what had happened to his town to happen to others. Yes, he wanted revenge, but he wasn't willing to raze their town as they had razed his. Hector refused to stoop to their level. He didn't want to cause more suffering than he had to.

About an hour after he had sent out the Zerglings, he had found Aetrix. The town wasn't too close, maybe fifty miles away. It looked formidable, though. Earthwork walls climbed twenty-five feet into the air, wooden guard towers standing every hundred feet. Archers and adepts lined the walls and filled the towers. Through the eyes of the Zergling, Hector counted at least fifty towers dotting the walls, which he figured were at least five feet thick. Atop each tower, there flew a blood-red banner with black swords crossing each other. It was the same banner that had flown when his village burned to the ground, the same banner that had flown when he defeated their force.

Hector immediately had a quarter of his Zerglings move to keep an eye on the town. If they were going to make a move, Hector wanted to know.

Satisfied with his reconnaissance efforts, Hector turned to his Creep Colonies, now the nesting sites of Chimera. He had six Creep Colonies, and he figured that each of them supported around fifty Chimera each. Though there were occasional clashes between Chimera packs, the Chimera at the Creep Colonies were fairly docile.

The sun was hanging directly overhead when Rebecca's cocoon burst. Hector was amazed by how she had changed. She looked a lot like Maria. She had kept her deep blue eyes and her flowing brown hair. Her face was still soft and compassionate. The rest of her body, though, was covered in a pseudo-carapace similar to Hector's, though hers looked more like Maria's than his own. Her leg was still gone.

In Hector's mind, he felt another mind join the collective consciousness of the Zerg Swarm. He prodded slightly at the new connection, but immediately withdrew when he noticed that his mother had reacted in a bit of shock. In his mind, he saw a new line of information added to a now familiar of information.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 200/1000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 100_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 0_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 50_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

Hector smiled, then moved to hug his mother. She returned his embrace weakly. Hector allowed half of his bio energy to flow into her. He pulled away to look at his mother. "How do you feel?" Hector asked seriously.

"I feel wonderful. It's a bit overwhelming at first to be connected to everything, but I got used to it quickly."

Hector nodded. "By the way, when did you manage to class up? You'd tell me if that happened, right?"

Rebecca shrugged. "It must've happened inside of the cocoon." Hector nodded.

"In any case, It won't be long before you get your leg back. In the mean time, try to get a feel for your connection with the Swarm."

Rebecca nodded. Her eyes glazed over as she explored her new connection. Hector contacted an Overlord.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**How will my command over the Swarm be affected by the addition of two other humans to it?**

_That would depend on the circumstances of their infestation, Overmind._

**They entered the Swarm willingly, and by my hand.**

_If it was you who has brought them into the Swarm, then they shall inherit a lesser form of your dominion, Overmind. Your orders shall stay the ultimate authority, but they shall be able to manipulate the Swarm at will._

**Will they be able to manipulate me?**

_Overmind, does the minnow overpower the shark?_

**I see your point. Thank you.**

Hector left the Overlord, and his mother's mind. She allowed him in, and Hector searched her mind. He wanted to know what he'd changed. He was glad to see that most of her mind was untouched. She still cared for her family, still loved Hector and Sara, Rose and Daniel. There was the expected change in her connection to the Swarm, but that was the only change that Hector could notice. He smiled. She was still his mother.

About two hours later, Hector's sister joined the Swarm. Hector ran to catch her as she collapsed. Hector allowed 100 units of bio energy to leave him, flowing into his sister. He also drew what he could from his reserves into himself, so that he wouldn't collapse himself.

_Sara Bio Energy: 100_

_Sara Adept Class: 3_

Hector was amazed. Sara had come impossibly far in a few days. She smiled at him.

"Hector? Is mommy awake?" Hector nodded, and pointed to where their mother was sitting. Sara rushed over to her.

Hector smiled. Sara and her mother looked like a matched set. They both had brown hair and deep blue eyes. Hector had taken after his father, getting brown eyes and black hair. Sara's new skin looked like her mother's, though on a child. Hector dropped his smile, and walked over to the two. He crouched next to them, and looked them both in the eyes.

"It's time, mom." She nodded, and looked at her daughter.

"I know you'll do fine, sweetie." Sara nodded. She put her hands over her mother's stump, but hesitated.

"Don't worry. I know that you can do it." Hector said. Sara closed her eyes, and concentrated.

Slowly, Rebecca's leg grew back. After fifteen minutes, Sara opened her eyes, and helped her mother stand. Rebecca took a few tentative steps, testing the strength of the leg. Suddenly, she whirled around, scooping up her daughter, and bear-hugged her. Tears were rushing down both of their cheeks. Hector smiled.

Technically, it should've been almost impossible for his sister to have been able to give his mom her leg. Technically, Hector's mom shouldn't be standing now. How had his sister managed to defy those odds? He shook his head, it didn't matter. He hugged his mother and sister. Tears made their way down his cheeks as well. Finally, they broke their hug, and Hector spoke again.

"There is one other thing that I think you should know. Some scouts found Aetrix." The cave went silent instantly.

"What do you plan to do?" Rebecca asked.

"Mom, I plan to make them pay."

"NO! No more needless violence, please. No more blood on your hands!" Rebecca said, her voice raised.

"Mom, I can't let them just go on without having been punished. They will do the same thing to other villages. I can't let that happen."

Rebecca sighed "Hector, I won't stop you from finding peace. Just promise me one thing."

"What would you ask?"

Rebecca looked right into Hector's eyes. "Please tell me that, whatever happens, you won't kill innocent people."

Hector nodded. "Mom, Whatever may happen, I swear to you that I shall not harm those of Aetrix who have done us no harm. I swear that the innocent shall be spared."


	8. Chapter 7: Shadows of War

LLC: Allow me to put this into a rough perspective for you. Every ten units of bio energy that Hector, his Blade Queens, or his family have stockpiled is roughly equal to the power of your average Dreyparxi male, at least where raw strength is concerned.

Turtwig163: Rebecca and Sara aren't his only anchors in humanity. You forget his adopted family, Daniel and Rose. Sara and Rebecca become anchors for his emotions, keeping him from becoming completely consumed by the Swarm by giving him a reason to go on. Rose and Daniel are, at least for now, his anchor into humanity.

Tsunamitunzen1: There are, in fact, two forms of Zerg Infestation, each brought on by differences in the brain when the infestation takes hold. If the recipient is calm, then the infestation is more benign in nature, and you get Rebecca and Sara as a result. If the recipient isn't calm, you get classic infested humans: no free will, grossly mutated.

Kane: I gave Maria a humanoid body because it is less unnerving for the characters, considering the Blade Queens will start to act like guards for them. Better for little Sara to grow up with a guard that looks like a human than a guard that looks like some sort of giant hornet, right? As for the personality aspect, Blade Queens tend to have more defined personalities, though they are all linked by their undying loyalty to the Swarm. She and her sisters will probably not fight on the frontlines, but rather will serve to protect Hector and his family.

I had a few reasons for infesting Rebecca and Sara. One reason was to showcase just how big of a deal Sara's powers are. Hector's thoughts said it best. A Class-3 Life Adept isn't usually able to do things like that, but I would like to point out that Sara just isn't an ordinary girl, even before infestation, and that I have big plans for her in the future. The main reason I infested them, though, was to shift Hector's anchor into his humanity, which I plan to shift once more. However, please understand that infestation doesn't automatically push the recipient to the next Class, unless they are already on the edge. What it does do is offer a source of strength for spells and new methods of meditation, which is a critical part of Classing up.

Hector will deal with Aetrix carefully. I recently had a revelation that I feel will go very well into this story. As for the one responsible, I will give you a hint: All decisions must ultimately pass through Aetrix's chief.

**Chapter 7: Shadows of War**

Hector nodded. "Mom, Whatever may happen, I swear to you that I shall not harm those of Aetrix who have done us no harm. I swear that the innocent shall be spared." Her face softened.

"Thank you."

Hector nodded, then turned to Rose and Daniel. "Would you two like to stay here in your cave, or come with us? I won't force you to stay with us."

Daniel shook his head. "We've already discussed it. We'd like to stay with you. We need you."

Hector smiled. "Well then, come with me." Hector led his family out of the cave, and together they traveled to the Brood Chamber.

Rebecca, Rose, and Daniel stared in amazement at the massive organism that towered before them. Hector smiled, before getting their attention. "Please, understand that I am no god. I am not all-seeing, nor am I all-powerful. I can only protect you if you want to be protected. As such, I ask that you not step off of the creep. This shouldn't limit you to your necessities, since the river is under my control, and there are plenty of Chimera to eat. Please understand that I ask this of you so that I can keep you safe. You are my family. I treasure you above all else." They nodded.

"Now, I need to ready the Swarm for battle. If any of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Hector closed his eyes, taking a mental count of the size of his Swarm. He had found that, while he could keep his eyes open as he used his mental link with the swarm, it was easier to concentrate when they were closed. He had nine Overlords: the one above the Brood Chamber, one over each Creep Colony, one over the river, and one watching Aetrix. He had one Brood Queen, which he sent to spawn more larva. He had fifteen Drones, and seventy-five Zerglings, twenty-five of which were watching over Aetrix. He also had Maria. It wasn't enough to take on Aetrix. He needed more bio energy. He racked his mind for other ways to create energy. He considered cutting down the trees, but that might hinder him in the long run. He also didn't want to kill too many of the Chimera. He wanted to keep them in case his plan for Aetrix worked out. At a loss, Hector contacted the Overlord.

**Overlord?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**I need more bio energy. Are there any other methods to produce it other than the trees and the Chimera?**

_Yes. The unused Larva that mill about below could be converted into bio energy._

**Wouldn't that kill them, though?**

_In you, Overmind, rests the unborn consciousness of every member of our swarm. If we die, our consciousness travels to you, and waits for rebirth. If you live, we live._

**And if I die?**

_Then we shall cease to exist._

**I see. Overlord, how many Larva mill about below?**

_Overmind, there are 5,000 Larva that await your orders._

**And how much bio energy would each of them provide?**

_Two Larva shall provide three bio energy._

**Then send 4,000 to be converted.**

_That will take time, Overmind._

**How long?**

_Our control over your Swarm is fairly weak. It would take a day for each hundred._

**How can I improve your control?**

_As Overlords, our control is weak. As Overseers, but one of us could complete the task in an hour for each thousand._

Hector fished around in his mind for information.

_Overseer: Advanced Flying Zerg Commander/Carrier. Possesses limited psionic capabilities. Costs 30 bio energy._

**Overlord, you shall be the first. Morph into an Overseer, and contact me once you finish.**

_As you wish._

Hector left the Overlord to its morphing, and opened his eyes. Rose, Daniel and Rebecca were seated near a wall, meditating. As Adepts, a calm mind was a huge advantage, and often provided that inner knowledge that brought new knowledge with it. Sara, however, was playing with a Zergling and having a good time, not caring that her life had changed forever. Hector smiled. Maria, he noticed, was near the Brood Queen. He figured that there was some sort of special link between them. After all, the Brood Queen had brought Maria into the world. Maybe it was something of a mother/daughter bond? Hector sighed. There was so much he didn't understand about his own swarm.

Hector looked at the meteor that lay in the center of the Brood Chamber. What was it? Why was it there? What was inside of it? Hector walked up to it, and put a hand on its cool surface. He felt something in there, but he wasn't sure what it was. Was it raw energy? Was it some primal consciousness, waiting to be unlocked? Perhaps it was some massive egg? Or maybe he was over-analyzing a giant rock. He tried to push into it, but he gathered no response. He sighed.

"What is it, Overmind?" Hector turned to see Maria standing there. Hector shook his head.

"It's nothing. I'm just trying to figure out what significance this holds. I feel something in there, but every time I press my mind into it, whatever it is just vanishes."

Maria frowned. She walked up to it, placed her hand where his had been. After a moment, she retracted the hand. "It was just as you said. A faint presence, but it disappeared when I looked further. Odd."

Hector nodded. "It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out eventually." Maria nodded, then turned and left. Hector turned back to the meteor. He attempted different methods of coaxing the presence out of its shell. He had little success until he tried putting a bit of bio energy into the meteor on a whim. The energy disappeared, and a faint "_Thank you._" passed through his mind.

He froze. The voice he had heard then was exactly like the voice he had heard the day that he had given birth to the Swarm. Again, Hector pressed his mind into the meteor, and again the presence appeared, though a bit stronger. Hector pressed in for an instant. The presence didn't retreat. He pushed in further, and the presence remained. He attempted contact. The presence disappeared.

Hector sighed, and withdrew. He had claimed a small victory. He felt the consciousness of his first Overseer press into him.

_I am here, Overmind. _The voice was deep and booming, in stark contrast to the faint whisper he had just heard.

**Excellent. Please begin converting the Larva into energy.**

_4,000?_

**4,000.**

_It shall be done._

**Thank you. Overseer?**

_Yes, Overmind?_

**If our Larva numbers reach above 1,000 again, please contact me so that I may decide what to do with them.**

_As you wish, Overmind._

Hector felt the Overseer leave his mind, and was pleased to see that his energy was already rising. He did some quick math. 4,000 Larva at three energy per two Larva would yield 6,000 bio energy, more than enough to amass an army to deal with Aetrix.

Hector filed through information until he found what he was looking for.

_Roaches: Armored Zerg Ground Warrior. Regenerates Rapidly. Costs 3 bio energy_

_Hydralisks: Multipurpose Zerg Strain. Ranged Attacker. Costs 5 bio energy_

_Banelings: Zerg Suicide Attacker. Costs 4 bio energy._

Hector smiled. While they definitely costed more to morph, he felt that they would more than make up for the costs. Also, Hector had previously been nervous about using Banelings, as their attack would kill them along with their targets. From what the Overlord had told him, Hector's worry turned to collateral damage.

Hector had also learned that, since the Zerg never truly died, a second Hatchery could prove more beneficial. However, he was faced with a problem. He wanted to keep his larva in one place for now, but there were no large clearings nearby. Hector commanded his Drones to use their pincer-mouths to clear an area large enough for a Hatchery to be made.

_Hatchery: Larva Production (500/20 hours)_

_Spreads Creep (5 miles)_

Hector's energy continued to rise. When it reached 50, he morphed in Hydralisks. A half hour later, the first of many broke their cocoons. Hector felt a chill run down his spine. In front of him stood what were arguably the deadlest creatures of the Zerg Swarm. They stood around seven feet tall, half their own length. Small spikes ran down their back and tail. Each mouth was filled with needle-pointed teeth. Each of their arms ended not in hands, but in a razor-sharp scythe, each three feet long. All this, and Hector knew that the worst was hidden.

Hector noticed a flicker of movement near a Hydralisk's shoulder. Behind a small flap of skin, there sat foot-long, armor-piercing spines, each capable of being coated with a skin-melting hemotoxin or a paralyzing neurotoxin. Hector also knew that the Hydralisk could control the power of the impact to such a degree that it could pierce even the toughest armor, or have the spine penetrate as deep as a paper cut.

Satisfied with the Hydralisk, Hector ordered roaches to spawn. Half an hour later, the Roaches emerged from their cocoons. These stood no taller than his Zerglings, but were far stockier. Six legs held the Roaches up, and two more hung over their heads, starting like the scythes Hydralisks, but ending in points resembling a Zergling's spike. Each of the Roaches had a thick carapace, capable of withstanding serious punishment, and able to repair wounds with astonishing speed. Several spikes, each bigger than Hector's fist, topped the Roaches. Inside of each Roach, near its disproportionately small head, sat a sac of corrosive acid, capable of melting steel. What made this even worse for any foes was that the Roaches could direct the acid at will, and could even turn the concentrated streams into fine mists.

He noticed that his Drones had cleared a substantial area of forest. He had them stop, and ordered a Hatchery to morph in. A single Drone moved to the center of the new clearing, and touched the ground. A creep cocoon slowly formed over the Drone, and the cocoon slowly grew. Hector turned back to the remaining larva. He had 2000 bio energy available. He spent about an eighth of it morphing the rest of his Overlords into Overseers. Then he grew his army. 250 Zerglings, 125 Roaches, and 50 Hydralisks. A half hour later, Hector had managed to raise his numbers from just over 100 to over 500. His confidence was high, and with 5,000 more in reserve, why shouldn't he be?

Hector concentrated on the flow of energy in his Swarm.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 500/1000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 100_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 100_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Sara Bio Energy: 100_

_Sara Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 5000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

Hector smiled, then noted the position of the sun in the sky. Night was coming. Hector returned to the Brood Chamber. His family was already there. He smiled at them, and walked over to where they were situated, all awake except for Sara. He cleared his throat.

"Tomorrow, we march on Aetrix. My Swarm is ready. Tomorrow, justice shall be had." He looked to his mother. "I will not forget my promise. No innocents shall be harmed. I will not have their blood on my hands. I will not make them suffer as I did." Rebecca nodded. Hector sat down with them. "Tomorrow, I would be glad if you all would come with me." One by one, they nodded. Hector smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

_Overseer, please wake me._

**The usual time?**

_The usual time._

**As you wish, Overmind.**

Hector closed his eyes, and allowed himself sleep. Tomorrow would be hectic. He wanted to be ready.


	9. Chapter 8: Justice

LLC: I am well aware of the advantages that The Swarm holds over their human adversaries.

Tsunamiatunzen1: The Brood Queen sprays the structure with a chemical that rapidly accelerates the current growth cycle of Larva. No lost energy.

Kane: When an Overlord morphs into an Overseer, it sheds part of its carapace, giving it less protection. It also loses most of its carrier sacs, so its capabilities as a transport diminish. It makes up for this by obtaining limited telekinesis. Also, since their control over the Swarm grows, Overseers become better front-line commanders, able to better command larger numbers of Zerg, which frees up Hector and his family to fight on the front lines.

Hydralisks will evolve, as will a lot of other Zerg. The Chimera will play a huge part in this, among other things.

Hector will not kill or infest the village chief, and after Aetrix is dealt with, Hector will not abandon them. He plans to assist them in rebuilding their town, and will eventually establish a presence nearby, though it will take time for the townspeople to see him as friend, not foe.  
Hector's family will act as a group of trusted people that he can turn to for guidance, though not necessarily for military purposes.

**Chapter 8: Justice**

Hector stood over the two cocoons. How could he have let it happen? Had he been so caught up in his own revenge that he had forgotten to keep an eye on them? He shook his head. He had hoped that he wouldn't have needed to infest them, but their injuries had been too severe. They would've died otherwise. He hadn't known them long, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing them. He looked out at the town of Aetrix through the Overseer he was in. Hector shook his head, and looked at the last rays of the sun as it sank below the horizon. He thought back on what had happened below.

Hector closed his eyes, and himself sleep. Tomorrow would be hectic. He wanted to be ready.

Hector woke to the gentle nudging of the Overseer. He quickly woke his family, and the Swarm moved out within the hour. Hector left 10 Hyrdalisks, 25 Zerglings, and 10 Roaches behind to guard the Brood Chamber and the new Hatchery. The rest of his army came with him to Aetrix.

The journey to the town was uneventful. They moved quickly, and made it to Aetrix with the sun resting atop the trees. Hector had explained his plan to his family on the way, and they supported him and his decision.

Once they reached Aetrix, Hector used what little light was left, and Rose and Daniel, to move a Hydralisk, two Roaches, and four Zerglings to the base of the fifty towers, where he burrowed them. As soon as this was done, he had the other fifty burrow in two groups about a hundred yards from the gate.

Then, with his forces in place, Hector, his family, and Maria moved to fill the gap between them. By now, the sun was up. Hector nodded to his mother. She nodded back, and closed her eyes in concentration.

Lightning arced from her and into the sky, and thunder crashed. Hector quickly provided his mother with some of his own energy. A minute later, the first guards arrived on the gate, their bows drawn. One of them called out to Hector.

"What do you want, Adept, for why else would you expend your own energy like that, except to get our attention?"

Hector stepped forward. "I am not the Adept who has sent forth the lightning, but I do represent our group. Tell me, is this indeed the town of Aetrix?"

"Aye, it is. Tell me sir, what business do you have with our town?"

"My business is in the fact that your town is responsible for the destruction of our village, Drex! The blood of my family is on the hands of your townspeople! Their lives forfeit to your greed!"

"Are you, by chance, responsible for the deaths of 25 of our bravest warriors, including Chief Alexi's own son?"

"Indeed I am. I offer you warning. Hand over to me the spoils that your people took from my village, and those who had participated in their demise, and I shall leave you and your town in peace."

"And who are you who would seek to make demands of us? We are a town of one thousand, a quarter of us warriors. Your Adept may be strong, but how can you hope to stand against our numbers?"

"We stand against you with our own numbers!" As he spoke, he sent an order to the Zerglings flanking him to unburrow. When he was finished, the Zerglings had dug themselves up and were on display to the guards, who stepped back in shock.

"W-who are you who would command Chimera?"

"Let it be known to you and your townspeople that I am Hector Brenst, son of Rebecca and Timothy, survivor of Drex! Now, do you yield, or will you face annihilation?"

"It doesn't matter what forces you command, you shall not challenge our might! If you wish to have our town, COME TAKE IT!"

"Very well, but know that the blood spilled today is payment for that spilled before. YOU DIG YOUR OWN GRAVES!" At that, Hector commanded the rest of his swarm to emerge. All around the wall, Roaches melted the towers that provided high ground to defenders, while Hydralisks fired paralyzing spines at low velocities to only immobilize their adversaries. As the towers fell, Hector pooled a hundred units of bio energy into a bolt of energy, which shined white as it hurtled towards the gate.

The gate blew inwards, and fifty Zerglings swarmed into the town, only targeting those who attempted to fight. Around the same time, the towers along the walls began to collapse, falling outwards, away from the buildings in the town. More Zerg poured into the town, as Hector led Maria, who had donned her battle form, Rose and Daniel into the town, leaving behind his mother to look after his sister.

The fighting was light until they had reached the town hall, where a hundred soldiers armed with spears had taken formation. They charged. Hector, Rose, Daniel and Maria had led from the front. They took the brunt of the charge. Hector and Maria were fast, and dodged the incoming spears. Daniel and Rose fell. The spears had gone through their gut, brought them to the ground. In a flash of pure rage, Hector emptied his entire reserve of bio energy into a single bolt, which he sent careening towards the mass of soldiers. His body weakened, and he pulled back from the severely weakened enemy. Maria, instead of taking advantage of the weakened state of the enemy, moved to the fallen bodies of Rose and Daniel, and knelt beside them. Hector felt her energy depleting as she emptied her reserves into their bodies.

Hector's Zerg fought with an increased vigor, spurred on by Hector's anger. They tore through the remaining soldiers. Soon, the town had fallen quiet. Hector had won, but he was losing a part of his family. He ran over to where Daniel and Rose lay. He called for an Overseer.

"Please tell me they aren't dead."

"They live, but only barely."

"Will they recover?"

"No. The wounds are fatal. They cannot survive."

"No, there has to be a way to save them."

"There is one way."

"Joining them to The Swarm?" Maria nodded. "There is no creep nearby. How would I do it?"

"The carrying sacs of your Overseers are lined with creep."

"So there is hope for them?"

"Yes. There is hope."

Hector looked at Rose and Daniel. He hoped they would understand, hoped they would forgive him.

The Overseer had appeared above them and was slowly moving towards the ground. From out of the carrying sac came Rebecca and Sara. They came rushing out to Hector, but they stopped short when they saw the bodies of Rose and Daniel.

"There is little time. Quickly, help me get them into the Overseer."

And so Hector had arrived here, electing to stay with the cocoons. Rebecca had insisted on staying as well, but Hector had refused, pointing out that the people of Aetrix needed a human face to talk to, not a Zerg one. Hector asked Maria to watch over his mother, and so Maria had left as well.

Now, down below, people were starting to emerge from their homes, and the soldiers on the walls who had been immobilized during the first minutes of the attack were regaining control of their bodies. Yes, Hector had won. He had accomplished his goal. He had destroyed their military, made it so that they could not attack any other towns. He had won, but at what cost?

He had almost lost Rose and Daniel. He had lost half his Zerglings, 25 of his Roaches, and ten of his Hydralisks. He had killed a third of the town's population, claimed 100 innocent lives, and their Chief had committed suicide before Hector could capture him. Their town was now leaderless, and lacked the Adepts needed to defend against the Chimeras and against other towns.

Hector had left them crippled. He had opened them to the kind of destruction that he had sought to prevent. If he left them here, in their current state, he knew that they would be destroyed. He couldn't let that happen.

Hector had his remaining Hydralisks positioned outside the walls, positioned to counter the approaching mass of Chimera that was approaching, drawn by the smell of blood. They came from the direction of the plains that Aetrix was built on the edge of. A huge herd of Ironbacks. If Hector had left, the town would be doomed. Instead, Hector ordered his Hydralisks to kill on sight. Hector had worried that his forces would be overrun. Instead, Hector watched in amazement as his forty Hydralisks held their line against a herd of 100 Ironbacks.

Hector, immediately recognizing the power of his Hydralisks, morphed in 60, and had them march double-time to reinforce his position. He knew that the longer he sat here, the more Chimera would come, drawn by the smell of blood. The sun fell as they arrived. Tomorrow, he would personally investigate the extent of his damage. Hector looked at the cocoons that held Rose and Daniel. Between them lay Sara, sleeping soundly. Hector smiled, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Hector woke to the usual gentle nudging of an Overseer, and was greeted by the sleeping forms of Sara, Rose, and Daniel. Tears came to Hector's eyes. Rose and Daniel lay asleep in each others arms, their faces peaceful. Hector laid his hands on them, and pushed bio energy into each of them. Their eyes fluttered open, woken either by his touch, or the sudden influx of energy. Hector looked at them, and they looked at him. Their new pseudo carapaces were the same as the others that he had seen. Hector hugged them. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You saved our lives. We're grateful." Rose smiled as she said it. Hector shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry that I didn't keep an eye on you two. I put you two in harm's way, and I almost lost you because of it. If it wasn't for Sara's healing abilities, you would've joined Drex in oblivion."

"But thanks to you and your sister, we aren't dead. We are alive and well, and better than when we started." Daniel smiled.

Hector went inspected the flow of energy in his Swarm.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 1000/1000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 100_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 100_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Sara Bio Energy: 100_

_Sara Adept Class: 5_

_Rose Bio Energy: 100_

_Rose Adept Class: 3_

_Daniel Bio Energy: 100_

_Daniel Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 7500_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

Hector was astonished. How had his sister managed to surpass the rest of his family? She was only five years old, and yet she was already powerful enough that, if none of this had happened, they could be living in a city. Hector looked at her, still sleeping peacefully.

**Overseer, bring us down.**

_Of course._

The Overseer began its descent, and softly touched down on the edge of the walls. Hector walked off, with Daniel and Rose following close. Hector stopped them. "Please. I need to do this." They nodded. They returned to the Overseer. Hector drew in a deep breath, and walked, unescorted, into the town.

He had ordered the town to be devoid of the Zerg. He didn't want to feel like he was intruding. As he walked down the streets, he inspected the damage. Most of the houses were in one piece, but there were a few that had come down from a stray blast of acid out of a Roach, or a stray attack from a defending Adept. All around him, people whispered, pointed. Many eyes showed malice and fear.

Hector noticed that there were a few people who had started following him. He knew what they wanted. He saw it in their faces. It was what he had wanted. They sought justice. Hector turned into a side road between two buildings. It was a narrow space, a yard wide at most. It stank of feces, and he barely dodged a pile of it as it fell to the ground. He kept going, making his way towards the center of town.

He reached the town square during a meeting of elders, who were arguing about who should succeed the chief, as he had no living relatives. Apparently, Fredrik had been next in line, but had not yet fathered a child. Hector had ended the bloodline.

All eyes turned to him as he "accidentally" intruded on the open air gathering. The square went silent. Footsteps sounded behind him. A man shouted "This is for my brother!", and punched Hector in the back of his head. Hector winced as the blow connected. There was so much rage in the man's voice. That was what hurt: the rage. The man truly hated Hector. Hector turned to face the man, and took a kick to the stomach. "That's for my mom!" Hector took a step back. An older man next to him drew a knife, and took a step forwards. "This is for my son, you bastard." The knife shot forwards, aimed at his heart.

Hector blocked the knife with his arm. He felt it cut through his skin, stopping at the bone. The man stopped cold. Hector took the man's hand off the knife's hilt. Hector then removed the blade from his arm. He held the knife in his hand for a second, looking between its blood-stained and the man, who stood there with his eyes closed, waiting to die.

Hector took the man's hand, placed the hilt of the knife in it, and closed the fingers around it. "I'm sorry." Hector said it clearly, and loud enough to be heard by the entire square, which was still dead silent. He walked away from the square, his arm already healing.

Hector headed to the town walls. People still whispered as he walked through the town, though there were fewer looks of malice, and a few of admiration. He had allowed himself to be attacked. He had shown remorse. He had spared someone who had attacked him with the intent to kill. He had apologized. Who was this man?

Hector came out to the site of last night's carnage. The corpses of Ironbacks lay before him, some chipped pieces of club and shell laying about as the only sign that some had been stripped down where they were. The Hydralisks had made no attempt to stop the stripping. Hector had given them orders not to. Hector knew that the hides would be highly valuable in armor. The tail spines would be lashed to shafts of wood to make spears. The meat would help feed the townspeople. The bones could be honed to a point as spears, of broken to bits for use as arrow points. The corpses would help rebuild the town's defenses, though he knew that the lost Adepts would be next to impossible to replace.

Hector didn't know how he would replace those losses. As far as he knew, it was impossible to give a normal the powers that an Adept wields. There were only three ways that he could think of to replenish the depleted Adept ranks. Aetrix would either have to take Adepts by force, which he wouldn't allow, they would have to wait for a new generation to be born, which would take too long, or they would have to convince another town to lend them some Adepts, which were too valuable to give away. Hector figured that there were probably some younger adepts, but they wouldn't be able to defend the town. There was also the possibility of some adept families moving in, but that would only happen if they had the possibility of a better life behind Aetrix's walls.

Hector ran through his list of goals. He needed to rebuild the town's towers and gate. The sooner those gaps in the wall were closed, the sooner the town would feel safe to its inhabitants. Hector could send The Swarm to gather food, so that wouldn't be an issue. He also knew that they had materials to make weapons and armor. He needed to know how many Adepts there were in Aetrix, if there were any that could fight. Hector also had to keep an eye on his Swarm. He knew that he didn't have to move back and forth, but he felt weird being off of the creep for so long. He made up his mind. He contacted his family.

**Guys, I'm heading back to the Brood Chamber.**

His mom's voice came over the link._ You're leaving?_

**Yes. I'll be gone for a day or two.**

_But without you, how will your Swarm function?_

**It will function through you.**


	10. Chapter 9: Discovering the Swarm

turtwig163: I felt that Hector had been too lucky in the past, and I needed to see Rose and Daniel infested somehow. Their injuries provided a gateway.  
As mentioned in the last chapter, the biggest blow was the loss of their Adepts. Without enough Adepts, Aetrix won't be able to protect itself. Until their Adepts can be replenished, they are at the mercy of other forces.  
Sara's role in this story is pretty significant. Hector's evolution to Stage Three will be key.

LLC: I didn't want to focus too much on the battle. I felt that it would take away too much from the aftermath, which is what I wanted to stand out.  
Hector allowed himself to be attacked for a different reason than Night. Night let himself be attacked because he felt guilty for an unprovoked attack. Hector let himself be attacked because he wanted to show that he was sorry for claiming lives, and that he was genuine about protecting them.  
Hector's transfer of power to his family is to keep them protected. He wants to know that if he leaves them alone, they will be able to protect themselves.

Stage Three will be an important Stage. Hector will get his first real fliers, dedicated spell-casters, and will see advancement in Hector's plans regarding the Chimera. It will also provide an answer to the question I believe is on everyone's mind: What the heck is inside of the meteor? However, Hector will not push to Class Three before he can be sure that Aetrix will be willing and able to protect him for two days.  
Kane: Those innocents were killed as a result of collateral damage. You can't expect each Adept to hit his or her mark every time, nor can you expect the same from a Roach's acid spray. Hector wasn't responsible for all the innocents killed, but he was responsible for some. As for the Chief, I can only point you towards honor.  
The village is pretty far away from Hector's creep coverage. Hector would take a very long time to get his creep grown to that point.  
Hector could use the Chimera strategy, but at what cost? Hector doesn't want to kill innocents, which is what unleashing a horde of Chimera would do. Against an army in the field, maybe, but probably not as a tactic for siege warfare.

**Chapter 9: Discovering The Swarm**

**Guys, I'm heading back to the Brood Chamber.**

Rebecca's voice came over the link. _You're leaving?_

**Yes. I'll be gone for a day or two.**

_But without you, how will your Swarm function?_

**It will function through you.**

Rebecca's eyes widened. How could she manage the power of the Swarm alone? What Hector was asking was crazy.

**You put too little faith in your abilities. Besides, you'll have Rose, Daniel, and Maria to help you. You'll be fine.**

_You're sure?_

**I am. Goodbye. I love you, mom.**

_I love you too, Hector._

Hector cut the link, and Rebecca saw the form of an Overseer lift off of the ground, and fly back to the Brood Chamber. From that direction, Rebecca saw Rose, Daniel, and Sara walking towards where she stood. Rebecca noticed that Rose and Daniel had changed as well. Rebecca waved them over.

"MOMMY!" Sara ran into her mother's open arms. Rebecca hugged her tightly for a few seconds, then looked up at Rose and Daniel.

"You hear what Hector wants us to do?"

"You mean commanding the Swarm in his absence?" Rose said, more of a statement than a question.

"None of us really have any experience with this. How the hell are we supposed to control one of the Zerg, much less the five hundred here?" Daniel asked.

"You all have the potential to do it on your own, if you wanted." Maria said, walking towards them from the gate that had been blown open.

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked.

"You are all touched by The Overmind himself. The Overmind created your current forms, and gave you power over the Swarm. Your power just needs to be refined."

"And how would we do that?" Rose asked.

Maria smiled. "How do you Class up as Adepts? Meditation and repeated usage. You expand other abilities in the same way. Concentrate, and simply feel your mind reach out to the rest of the Swarm." Maria paused, then added "Your youngest already has a grasp on the basics."

All eyes turned to Sara. She was petting a Zergling, which purred affectionately. Maria smiled. "I will help you, don't worry."

Rebecca nodded. "Thank you." She drew a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the Overseer that flew overhead. She felt its mind touch against hers. Through it, she felt the presence of each Zerg within a mile of the town's walls. She felt everything. Every creature was there at her command. She shivered as she felt the entirety of the Zerg's hive link. It was incredible, empowering. Around her, Daniel and Rose felt the same thing, as they too had reached out.

Rebecca jumped to the Zergling that stood near them. She felt Sara's gentle touch on its carapace. She could see her own body, standing motionless, staring blankly. Rebecca jumped back to her own body, and looked at Maria. "That was incredible. I could feel the entire Swarm, or I could occupy one lone Zergling. Is this what Hector can do?" Maria nodded.

"This and more. However, he left you in charge of the Swarm here. For the most part, there shouldn't be much for you to actually do. There may be Chimera attacks for you to help deal with, but other than that, all you really need to do is keep an eye on them." Rebecca nodded.

The day passed without incident. There was a Chimera attack, but it was a small one, and the Hydralisks took care of it easily. For the most part, Rebecca, Daniel, and Rose just exercised their control over the Swarm. Sara joined them on one occasion, though she somehow managed to outclass all of them. Rebecca was amazed by her own daughter. Just how powerful was she?

* * *

Hector returned around evening the next day, about a hundred Zerglings tagging along on the ground. They greeted him warmly, and asked him what he had left to do. He smiled, and told them that they should be able to figure it out on their own. However, for all their worth, they couldn't figure it out. Sara, though, smiled at her brother.

"What's her name?" Rebecca, Daniel, and Rose shot Sara a confused glance. Hector just smiled.

"Amelia. Once she hatches, She'll be protecting mom." Hector looked at the others, who still wore confused looks. "I made a new Brood Queen to watch over the Hatchery. I had her make a Blade Queen. She will hatch tomorrow." Rebecca reached out with her mind. She touched the mind of the Brood Queen, and the mind of the Blade Queen. Sure enough, they were there.

"How did you know, Sara?" Daniel asked.

Sara smiled. "I felt it."

Hector smiled too. He had also been in contact with the presence inside of the meteor while he was gone. It had said that Sara was special, but now, Hector wondered just how special she really was. She was incredibly fast at Classing up, she felt the Swarm more naturally. Hector also wondered why the presence had taken such interest in his sister.

"What now?" Rebecca asked.

"Now, we expand."

"Expand?" Daniel asked.

Hector nodded. "Yes. Aetrix remains defended as long as I keep a presence here. I can keep buried Hydralisks here in case anything bad happens. However, at this time, my primary concern is the Swarm's expansion."

"How far will you plan to expand?" Rose asked. "Where will you go?"

Hector was about to answer when an Overseer contacted him.

"Overmind, a large group of armed men approach from the south."

"What? Show me!" From the Overseer's view, Hector saw a line of men advancing towards the town of Aetrix. At least a thousand men, armed with steel weapons and armor. Hector felt his blood run cold. They hadn't come from another town. This was a force from a city.

Cities on Dreyparx were measured not by size, but by military power. Before him, marching towards their little town, was an army from Freylice, an underdog by Dreyparx's standards, but still able to crush most towns beneath their feet.

As Hector looked on, two objects in the back of the formation caught his eye. Hector had never seen anything like it before, but Chris had. Chris had taken a special interest in warfare, something that had driven him to join the army. What Chris knew, Hector knew, and Chris knew what they were.

"Trebuchets." He breathed.

"What's a 'trebuchet'?" Sara asked. Hector snapped back.

"Something very, very bad." He said simply. This satisfied Sara, but only made the others more nervous.

"Hector, what's going on?" Rebecca asked. Hector sighed.

"There's an army from Freylice marching this way. Mostly foot soldiers, all with steel weapons and armor. However, they also have two massive catapults called trebuchets with them. They could take down these walls just as easily as I did, but they could do it from a distance, outside the range of archers or Adepts."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Are you going to fight them?"

Hector shook his head. "No. Our best option would be to let them do as they wish. I don't think hat they are here to attack us. They are probably just passing through."

* * *

The army approached slowly. They arrived at Aetrix just after dawn the next day. Hector had taken every precaution. He'd gathered his forces, ordered them burrowed in case they were needed. His forces numbered one hundred Hydralisks, one hundred Roaches, and two hundred Zerglings. It pained him to admit that he was outnumbered. Hector was sure that combat would not be made here, but if it was, he had lost his greatest advantage.

The army had sent a small envoy to their town. They were greeted at the gate by Hector, his family, Aetrix's new leader Conrad, and the remaining Adepts that formed his bodyguard.

A man stepped forward from the envoy. "Greetings. I am Field General Elliot, of Freylice. Whom among you is the chief of this town?"

Conrad stepped forward. "I am Conrad, chief of this town. What business do you have with us?"

"Your previous chief, Alexi, promised us slaves from the nearby villages."

A chill ran down Hector's spine. Freylice had demanded slaves? From his village and others?

"Well, most of them escaped in the confusion caused by a massive Chimera surge."

"I see. Unfortunate. When will you be sending out retrieval parties?"

"They won't." Hector said.

"Excuse me?" Elliot said.

"They will not be sending out any sort of retrieval parties to recapture those who escaped."

"Who are you, who would speak out of turn about a matter that has no relevance to you?"

"I am Hector Brenst, firstborn son of Timothy and Rebecca, villager of Drex."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at Hector, and looked him up and down. His eyes fell on Sara, who was standing right in front of her brother. Elliot quickly drew his knife and pulled Sara away from Hector. He spun her around and put his knife against her throat.

"Do you value her life? If you do, I would listen very closely to what I have to say. You will send out retrieval parties to recover all the escaped prisoners, and you will hand them over to me."

Hector was about to respond when something incredible happened. A dull glow escaped Sara, which slowly built. Everyone stared in astonishment at her. Suddenly, she turned to Elliot, and grabbed him. Elliot yelped.

A moment later, he collapsed. Hector noticed that his sister's energy had just spiked another hundred units. He realized what she had just done. Then, before any of the Freylician soldiers could respond, Maria, in her Combat form, ran up to Sara and pulled her close. Hector stepped in front of them.

"These people are under the protection of the Zerg Swarm." At this, he gave a mental order, and four hundred Zerg emerged from underground. Hector, feeling confident, added, "This is but a fraction of the total number of forces under my command. If you value your own lives, you will surrender."

He needn't repeat himself. Many soldiers simply threw down their weapons and fled. Others sheathed their swords and knelt in defeat. Hector turned his attention to the quarter of the troops who had not simply run away, and from there, to the one man who had remained standing.

"Who are you, soldier, who would stand firm while your brothers-in-arms either flee before me or kneel in surrender?"

"Hector Brenst, I am Damion Shultz, son of Pauli and Christi, of the village of Helios. These men are my charges, all Adepts among us."

"Explain something for me, Damion. Why have your men decided to stay here and surrender? Surely your two hundred fifty Adepts could easily best my four hundred Zerg. Why, then, do you instead surrender?"

"We surrender, Hector, because we do not have the will to fight. We are all slaves, captured adepts forced to fight for Freylice. We wish not to fight against you. I speak on the behalf of these men when I ask you this: Will you accept us as warriors of Aetrix?"

"I regretfully slayed many Adepts when I came here, seeking revenge for the destruction of my home village. I believe I speak on the behalf of the people of Aetrix when I say that we would be happy if you would join our ranks."

Hector walked towards Damion, who started for Hector. The two met half-way, and embraced.

"Lead us as you would, Hector." Damion said finally.

"I am not your leader. Your leader is Chief Conrad."

"Then we shall serve him to our last breath."

"It is much appreciated."

Hector returned to his family. He got down on his knees and looked his little sister in the eyes.

"You OK?" He asked.

She nodded. "Mhm."

As the sun hung high in the air, Hector knew in his heart that he hadn't heard the last of Freylice.


	11. Chapter 10: Queen's Rebirth

**Chapter 10: Queen's Rebirth  
**

As the sun hung high in the air, Hector knew in his heart that he hadn't heard the last of Freylice.

* * *

Now, Hector sat with his family inside of the Brood Chamber, about an hour later. He had insisted that they return to firmly held territory for a little while, to try to expand their control of the Zerg Swarm. He smiled, looking at the faces of each person in turn. His mother, Rebecca, sat between Rose and Daniel, his adopted aunt and uncle. His little sister, Sara, sat peacefully in her mother's lap.

Standing behind the seated forms gathered before him were his Blade Queens, Maria and Amelia. They were his family's guards, the ones who would give their lives to protect his family and to protect their Overmind. However, Hector knew that, if they were to somehow fall, he wouldn't hesitate to give his own life as well.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Hector reached into the flow of energy among the Swarm.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 1000/1000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 200_

_Amelia Bio Energy: 200_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 300_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Sara Bio Energy: 600_

_Sara Adept Class: 6_

_Rose Bio Energy: 300_

_Rose Adept Class: 3_

_Daniel Bio Energy: 300_

_Daniel Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 15000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

A chill ran up Hector's spine. His sister had classed up yet again. He thought back to the events that had transpired only an hour before. His sister had been taken from him, a knife held to her throat. He was all but certain that she had been lost.

Then, she'd killed her captor. Drained his life force out of him by force. The thought of his sister wielding such a high-level ability as a child scared him. Yet, only an hour later, that same sister sat peacefully in his mother's lap, her mind reaching out to the Swarm, oblivious to her own powers.

She wasn't only gifted as an Adept. Hector had discovered that she was also amazingly gifted with the connection to the Swarm. At five years old, she was easily more connected to the Swarm than Rose, Daniel, and Rebecca combined.

Hector stood, turned to the center of the Brood Chamber, and walked up to the meteor. He placed his hand over the cool, pitted surface, and concentrated.

Inside of the rock, he could feel the gentle push and pull of energy inside the rock. He felt the consciousness trapped inside. The presence that had taken such an interest in his sister. Why is had done so, he couldn't begin to understand. He sighed.

"Hector? What's wrong?" Sara asked. Hector turned and smiled at her.

"Nothing. Just trying to figure something out." He answered. Sara carefully got out of her mother's lap, and walked over to where Hector was.

"What's in there?" Sara asked, putting her hand against the meteor's surface.

"I don't kn-" Hector's voice dropped off.

* * *

He saw five people standing in front of the Brood Chamber. Four he easily recognized as himself, his mother, Rose, and Daniel. The fifth was familiar, but unknown. It was a girl, teen-aged, about Hector's age, perhaps a year or two younger. She had brown hair, and dazzling blue eyes. They were all covered in the carapace of the Zerg. Hector wondered who she could be. The longer he looked at the girl, the more he felt that she was familiar. She opened her mouth to speak.

* * *

"-ctor? Brother?" Sara asked. Hector snapped back. His little sister was shaking his leg. He brushed her brown hair away from her blue eyes. He knelt down, and looked into her eyes.

"I'm fine, Sara. Don't worry." His mind was racing. Had he seen... was that girl... how could Sara... could it be?

"You froze up. Just like that first time. What happened?"

"I had a vision. I think it was of all of us. You, me, mom, Rose, and Daniel."

Sara nodded. She turned and walked back to her mother, who had come back to herself.

"How'd it go?" Hector asked.

"I'm getting better each time. I think the others are too." Hector nodded.

"Good to hear. The better that you guys get with your connection to the Swarm, the safer you can be whenever I have leave you guys."

Rebecca nodded. "So what's your plan for expanding?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah. What did you mean when you said that?"

Hector sighed. "The idea was to be able to get more bio energy to move to the next stages more quickly. Now, after seeing Freylice, and being outnumbered, I've decided that the bio energy needs to be put towards growing the Swarm."

As he spoke, he ordered his Brood Queens to spawn additional larva. He also morphed in 400 Hydralisks, 400 Roaches, and 800 Zerglings. He also morphed 100 of his Zerglings into Banelings. Then he pooled some bio energy into his family.

_Evolutionary Stage: 2_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 1000/1000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 500_

_Amelia Bio Energy: 500_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 400_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Sara Bio Energy: 700_

_Sara Adept Class: 6_

_Rose Bio Energy: 400_

_Rose Adept Class: 3_

_Daniel Bio Energy: 400_

_Daniel Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 10000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 25000 Bio Energy_

"Hector, what the hell are you planning?" Daniel asked.

"At the moment? Nothing. Just defense. However, should Freylice try to launch another attack, then I will strike back. I will grind them into dust."

* * *

Days quickly passed without any sort of action from Freylice. Soon, Hector had managed to amass the necessary bio-energy to move to the next stage of evolution. He warned the people of Aetrix that he would be gone for a few days, but that he'd return soon. Then, he'd left for his Brood Chamber. He sat with his family, and gave the mental order.

The creep slowly pulled up around his body, creating a chrysalis much as it had when he'd moved on to this stage of evolution. He gave reassuring looks to his family as they sat near him. Then, when the cocoon passed his head, he closed his eyes and settled into a deep sleep.

* * *

A strange pulsing energy woke Hector. His cocoon had yet to fall away, so his swarm was still evolving. He felt the minds of his family. His mother was fine. Rose and Daniel were fine.

He touched Sara's mind, and his eyes widened. He felt a second concentration of energy inside her chrysalis. There was a second entity inside her cocoon.

**Sara?**

_Hector? Is that you?_

**It's me. Are you OK?**

_I'm fine, Hector._

**What's happening in your cocoon? I felt a second presence.**

_You know that entity from the cocoon?_

**What is it doing to you?**

_It's... It's _joining_ with me, Hector._

**Joining with you? What do you mean?**

_It's moving into my body, into my head. Hector, I'm scared._

**It's alright Sara. I'm right here.**

_Thank you. _There was a pause, and Hector realized that the second presence had been fading away as he spoke with his sister. Alarm filled his mind when he was suddenly unable to feel it anymore.

**Are you OK?**

_I'm fine, Overmind._

A tinge of fear for his sister ran through him at the sound of that word. Sara had never called him Overmind.

**Who are you? What have you done to my sister?**

_I've done nothing, Overmind._

**Then why do I hear you're voice instead of my sister's?**

_Do you remember when I gave you your power over The Swarm? You told me that you would do anything for that power._

**I never expected to lose my little sister.**

_Lose? She's not lost._

**Then what have you done to her?**

_I've merely helped along her latent powers. Surely you've recognized them by now?_

**She's Class 6, and she's very capable of commanding the Zerg Swarm. What more have you done to her?**

_Fear not, for I have only helped her along. I hold no sway over her body or mind._

**Then why can't I sense you as an independent entity?**

_Because, Overmind, I've joined with her mind and body. She will awaken without memory of our little conversation. I shall make sure of that, and shall then pass into The Swarm's collective conscious._

**Why her, then? Why not my mother? Why not Rose or Daniel? Why not me?**

_Because, Overmind, only she is capable of receiving the power I have given her. That is your price paid to me: My entry into the Swarm. Now, I bid you farewell._

Hector was silent for a moment.

**Sara? Are you OK?**

_I... I think so. What happened, Hector?_

**I really don't know. We'll find out soon enough.**

_OK. I trust you. And Hector?_

**Yes, Sara?**

_I love you, big brother._

**I love you too.**

And so Hector passed back into blissful slumber.

* * *

Hector woke up again to a receding cocoon. Evolution had finished, and the Swarm was reawakening. Hector pushed through the thinning cocoon walls, and popped the chrysalis like a balloon. He reached out with his mind, feeling the awakening state of the Zerg Swarm.

Rebecca emerged from her cocoon. Her carapace was no longer segmented like Hector's, but was more streamlined, with fewer seams to mar her appearance. It was still a universal brown, but Hector couldn't help but think that his mom looked stunning.

Daniel and Rose emerged next. Like his mother, Rose's carapace had become more streamlined. Daniel, though, had appeared to have gained additional mass. His carapace seemed thicker in some places, reminding Hector of a suit of brown armor. Hector's own form had remained mostly unchanged.

The four looked at Sara's cocoon. It quivered, and burst, revealing the figure within.

The girl within the cocoon wasn't the same person that had gone into it. She stood, brown hair falling down to her back, blue eyes glowing bright. She stood about as tall as Hector, who placed the girl's age at around sixteen, two or three years his junior. Her carapace had taken on a similar appearance to Rebecca's and Rose's, though it was thicker, making it a sort of cross between their carapaces and Daniel's carapace. She frowned at the assembled group, which had stared wide-eyed at her.

"Guys? What's wrong?" Sara asked.

Hector smiled, and walked up to his sister. "Nothing's wrong, Sara." He said, hugging her. She returned the hug.

"Nothing's wrong?" Rebecca blurted out. "My little girl just had one hell of a growth spurt!" She looked accusingly at Hector. "So you made your little sister older, but you can't make your mother younger?"

"It wasn't his fault, mom." Sara said softly, her voice smooth as silk.

Rebecca looked at her daughter in confusion. "Then what happened to you?"

Hector projected a new piece of information through their minds.

_True Queen- Unique Zerg Command Strain. Second only to the Overmind._

They all looked on in awe. Two more cocoons hatched, and Amelia and Maria emerged from them. They walked over to the group, and knelt before Sara and Hector.

"My queen! Overmind!" They said in unison. "We serve!"

_Looks like you've got some new authority to go with the position._ Hector teased

**I'll try not to let it all go to my head like it did with you.** Sara retorted.

Sara gave them a mental command to rise. Much to her own surprise, they did so almost immediately.

She touched the flow of energy of the Swarm.

_Evolutionary Stage: 3_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 1,000/15,000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 500_

_Amelia Bio Energy: 500_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 400_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 3_

_Sara Bio Energy: 700_

_Sara Adept Class: 6_

_Rose Bio Energy: 400_

_Rose Adept Class: 3_

_Daniel Bio Energy: 400_

_Daniel Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 1,000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 100,000 Bio Energy_

She reached out with her mind, feeling the immense size of The Swarm. The reactions were uniform; adoration and loyalty poured out of each Zerg mind she touched. Was this what it was like for her brother?

Sara came back to herself, and looked at Maria.

**Maria?**

_Yes, my queen?_

**Please watch over Rose and Daniel.**

_Have I displeased you, that you discharge me?_

**No, Maria. If it weren't for you, those soldiers would've slain me at Aetrix. I simply desire to be protected by a Blade Queen brought into this world by my own hand.**

_Of course, my queen. I understand._

**Thank you.**

Sara nodded to her family, and left the Brood Chamber, leaving Hector to explain what had occurred earlier, and leaving Sara to her own devices. How had her brother spawned Zerg? She looked over to the larva that were milling about near the Brood Chamber. She reached out to one of them, and ordered it to become a Brood Queen. It curled into a cocoon, and Sara felt some energy drain from her own body as the cocoon began to grow, even as the sun rose into the sky. Satisfied with her work, Sara allowed herself to slip into a gentle sleep.

* * *

She woke to a gentle nudging against her mind. As her vision cleared, she noticed the form of a Brood Queen emerging from a cocoon. It approached Sara slowly, its carapace glistening.

_My queen, I have awakened._

**Good. Please, prepare a Blade Queen, then tend to the Hatchery and Brood Chamber.**

A cocoon slid out of the Brood Queen's abdomen, and it moved off towards the Hatchery.

Sara found herself tiring out as more of her bio-energy was drained from her body. She wasn't used to the exertion, made even more taxing due to the fact that she was using her own energy to birth the creatures. She decided that she wouldn't be using her own energy to birth more of the Swarm any time soon.

_Sara, what are you doing?_ Hector's worried voice called through her mind.

**What do you mean, brother?**

_After you left, I felt a new Brood Queen birthed into the Swarm, and now I feel a new Blade Queen as well!_

**That is all my doing, brother. I wished to be protected by a Blade Queen brought into existence by my own hand. Maria is far from inadequate, but I wanted to see if there was any difference between your lineage and mine, so to speak.**

_I see._

**Are you upset?**

_I was for a moment. Please tell me first before you go off birthing your own Brood next time, OK?_

**I'm sorry, Hector. I will warn you in the future.**

_Thank you._

There was a long silence, then Hector piped up again.

_How'd your energy drop?_

**I guess that I can't pull energy from the reserve pool when I try to birth. I used my own energy to make the Brood Queen and Blade Queen.**

_Interesting. Why do you think that is?_

**I have a theory or two, but I can always ask an Overseer or Brood Queen if I really want to know.**

_I suppose you're ri... Oh no..._  
**Hector? What's wrong?**

Hector showed her what he was looking at, through the eyes of an Overseer. It was Aetrix, or rather its charred remains. Its walls and towers had been reduced to burnt piles of smoldering stone. Some of the houses were still alight. The roads were littered with boulders, yard-long bolts from ballistae, arrows, discarded weapons and armor...

...and bodies. Hundreds of bodies, all strewn about in various states of death. Some were mostly whole, except for the wounds that killed them: severe cuts along the leg, slit throats, perhaps an arrow jutting from the chest or head. Others were missing one or more limbs, or perhaps a head. Others were obviously slain by magic: some bodies were burnt to a crisp by magic flames or lightning; others split as though by a fine blade, the result of a powerful spell of light or dark energy, or just pure energy.

It took all of Sara's self control to hold back the wave of nausea that fast approached. Her mind raced, knowing the answers to her own questions, but refusing to acknowledge them. She knew that this was Freylice's doing, that it was their retaliation for slaying their commander and for failing to deliver the slaves. She knew that Aetrix was dead, that there were going to be almost no survivors from this attack.

**Hector... I know what you're thinking. Please don't do this.**

_Those people trusted me! Trusted us! They put faith in our ability to protect them, and now Aetrix is a burning ruin! And there is no one else who can stop them but us! Freylice is too powerful for anyone else to defeat! It's up to us to right things._

**Hector, I...**

_Please, promise me you'll stay by my side through all of this. Promise me you'll be there every step of the way. Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll always be my little sister._

**I... I promise, Hector. I promise.**


	12. Chapter 11: Shadow

**Chapter 11: Shadow**

Hector fought back another wave of nausea as he walked through the ruins of Aetrix, stepping over yet another body, the cut across her chest as likely the killing wound as the arrow through her throat.

**I could've prevented this.** He told his sister.

_Please don't think like that, Hector._ Sara responded. _You'll lose yourself in the guilt._

Hector nodded, and went back to his searching. He was looking for survivors, anyone who might have escaped the wave of death that had swept through Aetrix. However, with each passing minute, it seemed less and less likely that he'd find a survivor.

_Hector, you've been out there since noon._ His mother said. _The sun is starting to go down. Please don't do this to yourself._

**Just a bit longer.** Hector said for the umpteenth time. **There has to be at least one survivor.** He simply refused to believe that he'd failed entirely, that everyone from Aetrix was dead. Someone was alive under the rubble, or maybe struggling with a wound. He just knew it.

_Hector. Please call off your search._ Daniel pleaded.

_You're hurting yourself. This isn't healthy._ Rose said.

**I can't. Aetrix was my responsibility. I promised them that I'd protect them. I can't leave things like this.** He proceeded past the market square yet again, looking, hoping, begging for someone to be alive. But the corpses in the street remained corpses.

Sara laid a hand on his shoulder, making him jump. "Hector, please stop this. They're all gone. You're not to blame."

Hector shook his head sadly. "I could've postponed the evolution. Had I waited a few days, none of this would've happened."

"Hector. I'm losing you." Sara said, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm losing you like we lost Dad and Joshua."

Hector froze at the mention of his little brother's name. He'd been the middle child, ten years old when Aetrix had come and erased Drex from Dreyparx's maps. Now, Hector was mourning that same fate having fallen on Aetrix. He came back to himself when he heard his sister talking.

"Please, just stop. There's nothing left here for us to find. Just... just forget this place. Leave the dead to rest in peace."

Hector shook his head. "I can't. There has to be at least one left." He quickly walked past his sister, and proceeded into the ruined barracks again. He looked in, and saw soldiers in various states of armor. Most were men, though a few were women.

Hector saw a brief flash of movement, and his guard instantly went up. His vision sharpened, and he peered into the shadows of the barracks, expecting to find a scavenging Chimera...

So when he saw the two kids cowering in the corner, he found it nearly impossible to hold back the tears. It was a boy and a girl. The boy had short brown hair, and burning blue eyes. He'd been crying a lot recently, Hector could tell. He stood firmly in front of the girl, protecting her from this intruder. The girl had brown hair worn in a loose braid over her left shoulder. Her eyes were blue as well, and just as sore from shedding tears. They both wore necklaces underneath their black shirts, and also wore soft leather pants.

The boy drew a knife. "W-who are you?" he asked, trying to sound brave.

Hector dropped to a knee, and showed his open palms. "I'm a friend." He said simply. "What are you're names?"

"Kaylee a-and Kyle."

_Hector, what's going on? _Sara asked.

**I found survivors! **Hector's mental voice cracked. **A boy and a girl were hiding in the barracks!**

_Hector, you've lost it! They're all gone!_ Sara screamed over the mental link.

"I'm Hector." He said, his voice soft. "I won't hurt you two. I want to help."

"Are... are they all dead?" Kaylee asked softly.

Hector nodded sadly. "I'm so sorry."

More tears streamed from her face. Hector was amazed to see that she still had some left in her.

Hector heard footsteps behind him. "Hector." Sara said. "Come on. Let's..." She stopped short when she saw the kids.

"I'm Sara." She said softly, kneeling next to Hector. "I'm Hector's sister."

"I-I'm Kaylee. Thi-is is Kyle."

"I'm very happy to see that you two are alive. We had thought that everyone had died."

"So, then we..." Kyle didn't need to finish. He saw the sad look in Sara's eyes.

"I need you two to trust us. You two can't stay here. It wouldn't be safe. Chimera will be coming here soon. I don't want to see all of Aetrix gone." Hector said.

Sara stood, and took a tentative step towards the kids. The brother moved protectively in front of his sister. Sara gently pushed him aside to get a better look at Kaylee.

"Kaylee, where did you get that cut?" Sara asked, referring to the large gash in her thigh. The material around the cut was dark with blood.

"It's from a s-soldier. He swung his sword a-at me."

"You're a very lucky girl. Any deeper and you'd be dead." Sara said as she laid her hands on the cut. She closed her eyes and focused her powers. The barracks filled with a soft glow as her magic healed the girl's wound. The girl winced for a moment, then relaxed as the magic took away the pain from the wound.

Sara took her hands away from the girl, whose wound had vanished. She looked at the boy, who shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Well then," Hector said, standing. "You two are coming with us. Night is coming on quickly, and you two won't be safe here." Hector scooped up Kyle, who protested initially, and was off like an arrow from a bow. Sara gingerly lifted Kaylee, and was off after her brother.

* * *

The journey to the Brood Chamber was uneventful, But despite his calm exterior, Hector's mind was racing. He hadn't failed Aetrix! There had been survivors! Children! Aetrix lived on in them!

He forced himself to focus once they'd arrived at the Brood Chamber. He set Kyle down, and took a moment to calm himself down. He needed to concentrate on his immediate needs. He needed to collect food from one of the Chimera groups nesting near his Creep Colonies, so that these kids wouldn't starve. He had some Hydralisks and Drones head over to the closest one, which had been settled by a group of Rhynox, massive, horned beasts that were normally docile unless young were threatened.

Hector sifted through his available genetic information, as well as any developments in his psionic arsenal. He had yet to do so since emerging from his cocoon.

_Available Genetic Information:_

_Class 1- Zergling, Drone, Overlord, Brood Queen, Creep Colony_

_Class 2- Baneling, Roach, Hydralisk, Overseer, Blade Queen, Hatchery_

_Class 3- Level Three: Mutalisk, Scourge, Hunter, Lair_

_Available Psionic Abilities:_

_Class 1- Swarm Embodiment_

_Class 2- Mind Bolt, Mind Lock_

_Class 3- Absorb Genetics, Drain Energy_

_Mutalisk – Zerg Airborne Combat Strain. Fights by expelling parasites towards foes. Costs 10 bio-energy._

_Scourge – Zerg Airborne Combat Strain. Suicidal warriors of the Zerg Swarm that fight by exploding against enemies in a spray of acid. Costs 3 bio-energy._

_Hunter – Zerg Specialist Strain. Can create thick clouds of Creep Spores or spray a corrosive variant of Creep. Costs 15 bio-energy._

_Lair – Larva Production: 1000/20 hours. Creep Spread: 10 miles._

_Class 3 Psionic Abilities:_

_Absorb Genetics – Absorbs the genetic information of creatures, and transfers desirable traits to the Swarm's genetic pool._

_Drain Energy – Converts life energy into usable bio-energy._

Absorbing genetics seemed a god way for Hector to improve the Zerg Swarm. Some Chimera had impressive attributes that could serve well in The Swarm. Draining energy, on the other hand... he suppressed a shudder. Instead, he pulled up a now-familiar set of information.

_Evolutionary Stage: 3_

_Overmind Bio Energy: 2,000/15,000_

_Maria Bio Energy: 500_

_Amelia Bio Energy: 500_

_Rebecca Bio Energy: 400_

_Rebecca Adept Class: 4_

_Sara Bio Energy: 600_

_Sara Adept Class: 6_

_Rose Bio Energy: 400_

_Rose Adept Class: 3_

_Daniel Bio Energy: 400_

_Daniel Adept Class: 3_

_Reserve Bio Energy: 5,000_

_Requirement for Next Evolution: 100,000 Bio Energy_

He smiled. His mother had managed to class up. He turned to look at Sara, but she was gone. Hector looked to Kaylee. "Where'd Sara go?"

* * *

The cocoon split open to reveal the new Blade Queen. Sara smiled. This was _her_ Blade Queen. She grabbed the Blade Queen's hand, and pulled her to her feet, giving away some of her own energy as she did.

_Thank you, my Queen._

**Serve the Swarm well, Sheila.**

_Yes, my Queen._

Sara smiled. The smile was quickly replaced by a pained look as her mind filled with pain. She dropped to her knees, clutching at her head. Her last thought before losing consciousness was of her brother.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter, but between school, my other fanfictions, a social life, some original work, and a general lack of inspiration, I've been hard-pressed to continue this story. However, rest assured, I have received some inspiration, and I'm back. Now, on to your reviews!**

Light Lord Cybergate: I really don't think that it could be called an alter-ego. It's not really another side to her, it's... complicated. I'll try to expand on it in later chapters. However, I don't plan on having her go off and create her own Brood.

As for Hector and Freylice, you'll just have to find out.

Kane: First off, I need you to get an account on FanFiction. We need to talk. As for your praise, thanks as always.

Sara got a growth spurt and a stronger connection to the Swarm because [spoiler].

Hector actually did have enough bio-energy for evolution.  
When The Swarm evolves, all of it's members go dormant. Hector's Zerg were all in cocoons evolving, so couldn't fight.

The presence inside of the meteor... The presence inside of Sara... It wasn't Sarah Kerrigan, and it wasn't the original Overmind.

Beyogi: Thanks for that.

S.R.457: Yes, but not for a while.


	13. Chapter 12: Nightmare's Grasp

**Chapter 12: Nightmare's Grasp**

Hector was there in five minutes. She was laying there on the ground, Shiela kneeling beside her. Hector immediately checked his sister's pulse. Thankfully, she still had one, and it didn't seem weak.

**What happened?** He demanded. **Who did this?**

Shiela shook her head. _I... I know not, Overmind. She simply collapsed. Was I wrong to remain with my Queen?_

Hector shook his head. **No, you protected her, and I noticed when her presence diminished.** He summoned a Drone, which appeared quickly. He picked up his sister's body, and gingerly lay it on the Drone. Then, he motioned for Shiela to follow, and he led the Drone to the Brood Chamber. He looked at his sister's motionless body, save for the steady rise and fall of her chest, and tried to look into her mind. He was surprised when he discovered that doing so was now impossible. What was happening?

* * *

"_Where am I?" Sara demanded. "How did I get here? Why can't I feel Hector or Mom, Rose or Daniel? Hell, why can't I feel the Swarm? Dammit, answer me!"_

_Yet again, her questions were answered by a deafening silence. She'd woken up in the forest, but off of the Creep. Her carapace was gone, and she no longer looked like a teenager. Rather, she was older, maybe twenty-five. She had her clothes, plain leather. _

_Movement to her right, chattering. "H-hello?" She called out, backing away. She was scared. She was alone. Was it Chimera? Soldiers?_

_A Zergling popped out of the underbrush, and scratched at its head with a back-claw. Sara tensed, fear building inside of her. Gone was Sara of the Swarm. Then, she saw another figure emerge as well, the eyes coldly glaring at her._

_Sara chocked as she recognized the figure. It was... her: The Swarm Queen!_

"_Die, Freylician." She said coldly. Sara's blood turned to ice._

"_No, please don't! I beg you! I'm Drexi, not Freylician!"_

"_You mock my pain!" The Zerg Sara roared. "Drex is dead by Freylician hands, through Aetrix! My own mother slain protecting me from Freylicians, my brother fighting you for razing Aetrix! You expect me to buy into your lies?"_

_Sara was shocked. Drex, her childhood home, was destroyed? Freylice, her new home, was responsible? That couldn't be..._

"_Your life ends now, as his did then!" The Zerg Sara yelled. The Zergling leaped forwards, claws extended, jaws open wide._

_A shield came from the side, bashing the Zergling away. The shield, Sara noticed, was connected to an arm, which was connected to a body. Standing between her and the Swarm Queen was an armored soldier, head covered by a helmet. His armor was mostly leather, with metal strips woven between them to provide additional protection._

"_Sara, you need to run!" The man told her. "I'll try to hold her off here, you just go!"_

"_But you'll die!" Sara said, recognizing the voice of the soldier before her. "The kids-"_

"_Tell them that Daddy didn't make it," He said, a smile growing on his lips, "but that he died keeping you safe."_

_Sara's voice caught in her throat. She turned and ran._

_An hour later, she arrived at the walled collection of tents that was the refugee camp Freylice – what was left of it, at least – had fled to. The faces she saw as she walked along were familiar. Children played among the tents as mothers watched. There were no men around, though, unless they were old or armored. However, the men in armor didn't look familiar at all to Sara on the level that the others were. She noticed that the crest on their armor wasn't that of Freylice._

"_Sara!" A voice called. She turned to see a young woman running towards her. Sara recognized her as Thalia, her neighbor back in Freylice, and a very good friend. "Sara, where's Jon? Weren't you two out together?"_

_Tears came to Sara's eyes, her head shook. A look of dismay crossed Thalia's face, and she embraced Sara. "I'm so sorry. To say that he was an amazing and compassionate man just doesn't do him justice."_

_Sara nodded, and looked her friend in the eyes. "It was Sara that killed him. We were separated, and Sara found me. She was about to kill me, then Jon saved me, just like the night we met way back when. He was always the type to play knight in shining armor, even when it would only end..." She stopped. She couldn't believe that he was really gone. "Now I know how you felt when Sara killed Harold. Sara's no woman, she's a monster."_

_Thalia nodded. "It's a good thing that we ended up joining the Beletarian Alliance. I don't care how powerful that those glorified Chimera are, there's no way that they could possibly stand up to us, Bandaria, Illycia, Theolonia, and Gandoren."_

_Sara nodded. "She'll regret the day she stood against us. But, I can't help but think that it was our fault for instigating the conflict. I mean, did we really have to retaliate after the first time we met the Swarm at Aetrix, back when Hector was still around? We could've walked away after that. Why did we have to add fuel to the fire?"_

_Thalia nodded. "I suppose that you've got a point. I've asked myself that question a couple of times, too."_

* * *

"Oh, Sara!" Rebecca was hugging Hector tight, Rose and Daniel crying as well. None of them understood how or why it could've happened. She was alive, perfectly healthy. Why was she unconscious? It made no sense, and, according to every Queen and Overseer Hector asked, nothing like this had ever happened before. Hector thought to try to contact Dain on Prime to see if he could help, but the first time he'd done so was totally by accident, a fluke that may not happen again.

He racked his brain for options, but the only thing that he could think of would be to put Sara into a cocoon for now, with orders that she was to be released if she woke up. As Hector watched the Creep crawl up and over her body, making her one with the wall of the Brood Chamber, he wondered why.

* * *

_The next few days, Sara lived as well as she could without Jon. Their twins, Jessica and Jennifer, were both eight, and understood what it meant for their father to be gone. They went through a period of mourning, and Sara was determined to take Jon's torch, and fight the monster that took her children's father away._

_She was immediately accepted back into service, and Thalia was fine with watching the twins. For a month, Sara drilled from sunrise to sunset on the green with the other recruits, re-perfecting her skill with the lance, sword, and bow, as well as re-developing her magical abilities._

_At the end of the month, the attack came. Sara was up at the gate for guard duty when she was hit by a spine. She went numb immediately, though she remained alive, and was forced to watch as the Zerg Swarm rushed into the refugee camp. She watched as the slaughter moved from the gates into the tents, and as soldiers fell. Tears flowed freely as friends died amongst the volleys of spines, sprays of acid, and swings of talons. Though more than a token amount of resistance was put up, and the Zerg took considerable losses, they were simply a massive tide of bodies, crushing what resistance tried to fight. _

_Sara managed to focus long enough to cast a spell. Gradually, the numb feeling in her body vanished, and she shakily stood up. She looked over to the other soldier that had been on guard duty, and moved over to him, putting her hands on his body, and focusing. Slowly, the man stood shakily as well, grunting as he pulled the spine from his arm. Sara pulled the spine from her arm, and healed both their wounds._

_Below, the melee was dying down, The Zerg Swarm victorious. Sara picked out Sara. She looked over to the other soldier, and he shook his head. Sara sighed, and moved towards the stairs. Escape._

* * *

With his sister incapacitated, Hector struggled to keep himself occupied. He found his peace of mind in preparing for the inevitable attack on Freylice. Mutalisks and Scourge were winging their way across the skies above the Brood Cluster, Hydralisks, Hunters, Roaches, and Zerglings loading onto Overlords.

_Overmind, I have seen an interesting Chimera near one of the Creep Colonies in the deep forest. Perhaps it holds some value?_

**Show me.** Hector said. The beast that the Overseer showed him looked eerily like a hornet from back on Earth, fully black, only this was easily as long as a Mutalisk would be uncurled, with two sets of wings just as long as the Mutalisk's. It's head sported a pair of compound eyes and a pincer-mouth. It was eight-legged, each leg spindly and smooth, with a small hook on the end. The body was divided into two segments, with the back segment ending in not one, but two separate points, no doubt venomous.

**Does it nest at the Creep Colony, or does it nest elsewhere?**

_It is one of the creatures that calls the Creep Colonies home._

**Rose, Daniel, Rebecca, one of the Overseers has given me a lead that I want to follow. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I'll be back by sunset tomorrow for sure.**

_Please be safe, Hector. If not for my sake, then for your sister's._

**I will, mother. I love you.**

Hector made very good time, traveling the distance in a few hours. When he finally reached the Creep Colony, he was surprised to see that the ground surrounding the Creep Colony was cratered, each crater eventually going deeper underground. There were massive wasps flying in and out of these holes, many with large chunks of meat in their mandibles. Hector sighed, and went underground.

The tunnels were large enough for him to stand in, though the hornets were only half as tall as he was. He moved towards what he perceived to be the center of the hive, and eventually found himself in what he assumed was the Queen's Chamber, the ceiling three times taller than he was. Before him was a massive hornet, easily as tall as the ceiling was, a more massive version of the Hornets, only it possessed a massive ovipositor.

_swarmchild, hivebrother. greetings._

**You're self-aware? **Hector was amazed.

_I am, and we are. are you the source of the lifefood that this hive calls home?_

**I am. **

_many thanks. your lifefood has increased the hivesize massively. how can this hive serve yours?_

**If your hive has expanded as such, would I be able to take one of your eggs?**

_such a small token shall suffice to clear this hivedebt? take as many hiveeggs that you would like._

**Thank you.**

* * *

_His name, Sara learned, was Conner. He was Freylician, and a noble besides, an officer in the now-destroyed Freylician army. After two months on the run, they grew close. They learned about each other, but tried to avoid the subject of the military, each preferring to learn more about the other's personal lives._

_Finally, Sara couldn't take it anymore._

"_Why were you on guard duty, then?" Sara asked. "I'd think that an officer would be leading troops into battle, or coming up with battle plans. Why do grunt work?"_

_Conner smiled. "Because, for a while, I was a grunt, too, and old habits love to die hard. I earned my commission on the front lines, despite my noble birth, because I wasn't sure if I was ready, and I didn't want to be leading just because of my noble birth. I wanted to know what I was going to be putting my men through, so I went through it myself, starting on my sixteenth birthday, about ten years ago. Now, I have nothing but myself."_

_Sara nodded. "I didn't have the chance to start with a commission. I left my home village of Drex for a city when I began to develop my powers. I'm Class 3 with life-"_

"_You got into a city at class three?" Conner interrupted._

"_You didn't let me finish." Sara pointed out. "I'm also a class two under energy."_

_Conner's eyes went wide. "You have two disciplines? Is that even possible?"_

_Sara smiled. "Next time we get into a fight, you'll see."_

_Something snapped behind them. They whirled around, swords drawn silently thanks to cloth lining in the scabbard._

_The Swarm Queen stepped forwards, eyes blazing, talons extended._

"_You escaped once, my pet. I won't allow it to happen again. This time, you have no where to go, and no friend to save you. You will die with the rest of Freylice."_

"_I told you, I'm not Freylician! I'm Drexi!"_

"_Lies!" The Queen roared. "Drex is long dead! My mother, my brother and I were all that were left! For the longest time, that was all, but then we found Rose and Daniel." She closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "Then, I was stricken by a horrible mutation, and I was rendered unconscious. My brother attacked Freylice, but your alliance ambushed him, and they overwhelmed him."_

_Her eyes snapped open, filled with rage. "The Swarm, overwhelmed! My brother, dead! After that, they came for me, for us. Rose and Daniel were the first to die, but they died together. I woke in time to see my mother take a fatal wound. She died in my arms! In my damned arms!"_

_Tears began to fall freely. "You mock me with your lies! Drex fell, my family is gone! I am all that is left of Drex and its legacy!"_

_Sara gripped her sword tighter. "Why don't you listen? I'm Drexi! My mother was Hannah and my father was Brenner! If you need any proof, why don't you look at the sword in my hands!"_

_She flipped the sword over, and planted it into the ground, pommel up, a beautifully crafted purple gemstone set into the pommel._

"_Brenner was a blacksmith, and his signature was a purple amethyst. My father made this sword! Drex made this sword!"_

_The Swarm Queen stepped forward, and gingerly took the sword in her hand. "This truly is one of Brenner's swords, a man that you knew by name, along with his wife." She sighed. "Their only child left home to seek her fortune as a career soldier. My mother would tell me the story again and again, about how wonderful they were as a family, about how their daughter hoped to commission in the military, then bring her parents to live with her. That day never came. Drex was razed before I could meet her."_

_The Swarm Queen's face softened, and she looked at Sara. "You are truly her?"_

_Sara nodded. "I am deeply saddened by the news of Drex's demise. Was it truly... truly at Freylician hands?"_

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Typically, I'll use bold print and Italics in the following fashion:

**POV person's transmitted thoughts (Usually Hector)**

_Entity B's transmitted thoughts_

However, here, I've also used Italics for Sara's dream sequence. Please try not to confuse them.

Also, I'm putting the primary focus on Kyle and Kaylee next chapter, so know that I didn't forget them!


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